Followers

I want to acknowledge my blog followers. Your support encourages me to continue blogging, especially when my creative resources run low. Many of you have contacted me directly, either through emails or comments. For this I thank you. When I began blogging several years ago, I had a vision of real-life social connections forming and deepening as a result of this blog. The human connection makes everything worthwhile. To those who send personal messages and comments, I encourage you to continue. We have so much more to learn from one another.

But this message goes out especially to those who have yet to contact me directly: Matt Schupp, Francisco, Jenna Bowles, Leiominala, Melody & Jerome, and Ashok Maurya. I want to know who you are and what you're about. I want to know your interests and what inspires you. Let's begin the conversation. Leave a comment, or send me an email at: barrymoses@hotmail.com

Seven

I've reached the conclusion of the Seven Random Things Meme, first suggested by my friend and fellow blogger Tim. In all sincerity, I enjoyed the trip down memory lane much more than expected. Whenever I find myself stuck in the duldrums of my seemingly boring life, I can call to mind that I've been both a millionaire and a beggar; that I once tried to save the world but also drove a get-away car in a robbery; that I witnessed the turbulent transfer of power in a Central American nation, and contemplated the mysteries of the universe. Maybe my life isn't so boring after all.

Here are the rules: 1. Link to the person who tagged you and post the rules on your blog. 2. Share seven random or weird things about yourself. 3. Tag seven people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs. 4. Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Now I have to consider if I wish to pass this meme on to someone else. I usually HATE forwarding these things, but I really DO want to learn more about the people I've selected.

• Michelle: Because I want to know the seven things you remember about YOUR life, and your life is much more interesting than you believe. Besides, I want you to blog more. I miss connecting with you this way.
• Seth: Because I miss your photography and personal accounts of life in New York.
• Ty: Because your gentle wisdom and perspective are too essential to this turbulent world to leave unspoken. (And besides, I wish to plant a seed for re-opening your blog).
• Colleen: Because you've been everywhere and I selfishly want to know more about your travel experiences.
• Donis: Because you offer a voice of healing and insight to the world.
• Jay: Because I'm just becoming acquainted with you and I appreciate your perspective on the world. You're another of the gentle voices of the planet that deserves a greater audience.
• Carole: Because you're such a good friend and I want to know more about your life and example.
• Anyone else care to write YOUR seven random things? It doesn't matter if you have a blog or not.
  

To review my own Seven Random Things:

Random Fact #1: I was once a millionaire.
Random Fact #2: I was once an Earth Ambassador.
Random Fact #3: I once drove a get-away car.
Random Fact #4: I read the Bible from cover to cover.
Random Fact #5: I was once a beggar.
Random Fact #6: I sometimes have prophetic dreams.
Random Fact #7: I survived a coup d'état.

Family

A while back, I commented on the values that guide my blog. Specifically, I mentioned the value of creating first-person accounts based on understanding and respect. Perhaps more important still, is the value of honoring my family and children. My blog started as a way to strengthen the connection between distant family members, and as much as I like to address other topics, part of me feels duty-bound to return to my blogging roots: my family.

Just earlier this evening, my wife and son joined me for a late afternoon walk and reminded me how much I love to see my children grow. I feel truly humbled and blessed to see my children become such beautiful and respectful people. In large part I create this blog for them. When they grow up, they'll be able to look back and see all our adventures together.

Get-Away Car

Random Fact #3: I once drove a get-away car.

True story.

For obvious reasons, I felt nervous to reveal this sordid little detail about my life, but the statute of limitations passed more than 20 years ago, and besides, I was only a child when it happened.

When I was nine years old, I came back to Spokane to spend the summer with my father. He was still drinking then, so I'm sure his judgment was not the finest. We were staying in town one night when the beer ran dry. He turned to me and said, "Barry, let's go to the store. We're going to pick up some more beer."

"Okay," I said.

He pulled into the parking lot of our neighborhood grocery store and positioned the car into a convenient spot near the entrance. He left the engine running and motioned for me to sit in the driver's seat. "Really?" I beamed hopefully. He nodded and then went around the front of the car to take the passenger seat.

"Do your feet reach the pedals?" he quizzed.

"Just barely, but yes." I nodded. Enthusiastic.

"Good," he said, "So this is what's going to happen. I'm going to walk into the store and grab a case of beer. I'm not going to pay for it, so you'll wait for me in the car. Leave the engine running, and when I get back, you'll drive away. Do you understand?"

My smile faded.

"Do you understand?" he demanded.

"Yeah, but what if the cops come?" I asked.

"Then tell them you're waiting for me. No big deal."

Before I could protest further, he got out of the car and walked into the store. I could see him through the big windows walking to the beer aisle, casually and confidently, like he owned the place. He was suave and cool, but I was a wreck. My feet shook and my hands trembled against the steering wheel. I worried and agonized just wishing for the ordeal to end.

Finally, my father left the store with beer in hand. He sat in the passenger seat and said, "OK, drive."

Even with an automatic transmission, the car lurched and halted as we made our big get away. I think I only drove about a block before my father told me to stop and trade places. Mercifully, my life in crime ended.

As I look back, I'm glad to say my father didn't get me into crime any more than this one incident. A few years later, he stopped drinking, made his amends, and made a positive life change.

To review:

Random Fact #1: I was once a millionaire.
Random Fact #2: I was once an Earth Ambassador.
Random Fact #3: I once drove a get-away car.

Earth Ambassador

Random Fact #2: I was once an Earth Ambassador.

Some time back in late 1989 or early 1990, one of my mentors encouraged me to apply for a youth leadership program known as the Earth Ambassadors, operated under the guidance of UNITY of Oklahoma City (United National Indian Tribal Youth). I remember almost nothing regarding the application process, except that maybe I wrote an essay about my tribal and family traditions. After applying, I mostly forgot about it.

But then a few weeks later, they called to say that I had been selected as one of only 48 tribal youth nationwide to form the first group of Earth Ambassadors.

That winter, they flew us all to a posh retreat center about an hour outside of San Diego, California to complete a nine-day training. We addressed a wide range of topics including tribal traditions, spirituality, the mind-body connection, environmentalism, and much more. We also explored issues of personal growth and healing. For example, some of our sessions dealt with difficult topics from Indian history, such as the emotional and psychological effects of Indian boarding schools. We learned that many of our parents and grandparents suffered violence and sexual exploitation within government and church operated boarding schools. The negative impact of this historical fact has created a legacy of pain that often continues to the present day.

Our first retreat was an amazing experience.

The next spring, the Earth Ambassadors flew to Washington DC for another retreat, this time to become more directly involved in lobbying for positive environmental change. Many of us met with our respective senators and representatives, and others attended Senate hearings on matters related to Indian lands and water rights. As an aside, the office of Senator Slade Gorton from Washington State gave us a somewhat hostile reception.

We later toured the White House and met First Lady Barbara Bush. We also attended a reception at the Department of the Interior and met with the assistant secretary of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and actor Rodney Grant, who played Wind In His Hair on Dances With Wolves.

The highlight of our trip was an intertribal ceremony we performed on the National Mall in honor of Earth Day. The photograph at the beginning of this post was taken during that ceremony.

That summer, UNITY held its national conference in Spokane and requested my assistance with some of the organizational responsibilities. Most important of these, I was able to negotiate with the county government for a special permit to build two sweat lodges near Hangman Creek, one for male conference attendees, and one for female attendees. I was master of ceremonies at the plenary session and spoke before an audience of 1,500 people. My father and I also cooked a traditional salmon dinner for more than 500 people.

Earth Ambassadors opened my mind to a Native world beyond my local community. It also gave me an essential introduction to leadership and positive change.

To review:

Random Fact #1: I was once a millionaire.
Random Fact #2: I was once an Earth Ambassador.

Millionaire

A hundred years ago, my friend and fellow blogger Tim tagged me in a blog meme that asked me to post seven random things about my life. Actually, it wasn't a hundred years, but it was a long time ago, and I never responded. My bad.

His original post can be viewed here.

I had almost forgotten about that little meme, when I found myself sitting at home with nothing to blog about. In these final weeks of summer, I could not stand to post another picture of the lake, the heat-scorched landscape, or any of my usual subjects, for that matter. I needed something different, a change of pace. The Seven Random Things Meme will do just fine for today.

Here are the rules: 1. Link to the person who tagged you and post the rules on your blog. 2. Share seven random or weird things about yourself. 3. Tag seven people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs. 4. Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Well, I already broke the chain by not responding in a timely manner, so I may cheat, just a little. By the end, I WILL post seven random or weird things about myself, but I'll do them one post at a time. At the end, I may or may not tag seven other people. I have to think about that. I may even need to make a few more friends to achieve this (LOL).

So here goes (sorry Tim, you already know this first one):

Random Fact #1: I was once a millionaire.

Yes, it's true. At age 17, I got to feel the triumph and satisfaction of being a millionaire, if only for one fleeting moment. Well, I didn't actually own a million dollars. No. I had a million Mexican pesos in my bank account.

Back then, it wasn't hard to do.

During my junior year of high school, I lived as an exchange student in Guasave, Sinaloa, Mexico, under the sponsorship of Rotary International. The Rotary Club required me to keep $500 in a contingency fund, just in case I encountered any unforeseen expenses.

Well, the exchange rate between US dollars and Mexican pesos was always ridiculous, but the disparity only increased as the year progressed.

One day I came home from school and found a handwritten sign on my bedroom door:

"Felicitaciones. Ya eres millionario."

"Congratulations. You are now a millionaire."

When asked, my host parents explained that the Mexican peso had taken a nose-dive against the US dollar. In one day, the exchange rate had gone from around $1,000 pesos to the dollar, to more than $2,500 to the dollar. At that rate, I had more than $1.25 million pesos in my bank account! Yes, I really was a millionaire, at least by that standard. I bore the title with mock solemnity, causing all kinds of laughter and teasing with my host family.

Of course, my purchasing power never changed. It still cost more than $200 pesos for a Pepsi, or a whopping $58,000 pesos for a pair of jeans. My wealth was worth only slightly more than the ink on my money.

Values and Respect

As I reflect on my values, I also realize that I want to create a family-friendly environment where people of many backgrounds and beliefs would feel respected. This doesn't mean that everyone always has to agree, but that we could treat one another with dignity. Also, I would like to eventually feature people who make a positive difference in the world. A few such projects are in the works, but I'm open to other suggestions.

I tend to avoid controversial topics, but then again, I sometimes wonder about making a blog dedicated to political, cultural, or theological discussions in a fair, respectful way.

Any thoughts?

First Person

Back in April 2005, I created my first blog. Ever since that small beginning, I have posted thousands of photographs and commentaries about a wide range of personal topics.

With more than four years blogging experience, I look back for some useful perspective. I realize now that I adopted a specific ethical framework for my blog without any self-aware intent. Specifically, I made a subconscious commitment to address real, first-person events and to avoid excessive commentary on celebrities, politicians, and general news items. For one, the world has no shortage of paparazzi and punditry representing every conceivable idealogical slant. What more could I possibly add to the great political debates of our time? I just never want to use my blog as a platform for personal rants.

And besides, people who choose to read my blog want to know my experiences, however limited those may be. This is not to say that I will never express an opinion about some issue or event in the larger world. I'm simply expressing a preference for first-person blogging. I would much rather read about the direct experiences of my fellow bloggers than to speculate over far-removed people and events.

It "only" took me four years to identify my own blogging values, but now that the fog has begun to clear, I plan to post more in the coming days.

Robert & JenX

Robert & JenX, originally uploaded by sulustumoses.

During our recent trip to Oklahoma City, we had the chance to visit another fellow blogger who goes by the name of JenX. Her blog name is a play on words that reflects her interest in all matters related to "Generation X." Jen originally linked to my blog through an effort to identify "Generation X" bloggers from all 50 states. I received the honor and good fortune to represent Washington State on esteemed her blog list.

Meeting JenX was a little like meeting a celebrity. Her blog is so much more professional than mine, and certainly reaches a far wider audience. She writes with the skill of a seasoned author, the heart of poet, and the mind of a theologian. By any standard, she's a star in my book.

Jen also made me feel comfortable, even loved. She opened her home the way she opens her heart.

And then there's her husband, Robert.

From the moment we met, I felt like Robert and I were old friends from another time or place. We conversed freely and easily as though we had known each other for many years. The day we met, we built a fire and cooked salmon on the grill. Robert cut down branches from a nearby pecan tree and added them to the fire. "This will add flavor," he said. The whole experience was so simple and yet profound, like a reunion of two ancestral brothers.

I pray this connection will deepen and grow.

Donis

Donis, originally uploaded by sulustumoses.

Donis is one of my regular readers from Oklahoma. We originally met through comments and links made to my blog from her blog.

Up until the day we arrived in Oklahoma, I didn't even know her real name, but when we met in person, I felt as though we had known each other for many years. Donis holds a rare light in a world too often characterized by insincerity and superficial friendships. She laughs easily from a place of deep authenticity, and even as she recounts the hardships of her life, I sense an underlying gratitude in her stories. This is a woman sanctified by grief and made rich through her experience.

No doubt some higher destiny brought us together. I feel humbled and honored to make her acquaintance, and I feel certain she will yet teach me many lessons for graceful living.

Her blog can be accessed by clicking HERE.

Bloggy People

Bloggy People, originally uploaded by sulustumoses.

As our visit with Donis drew to a close, we posed for a final photograph. Rhonda's comment made me laugh. She said, "We need a picture with all you bloggy people."

Of course, we couldn't have it any other way.

So here we are, the three "bloggy people," Tim, Donis, and Barry.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma, originally uploaded by sulustumoses.

Rhonda and I traveled to Oklahoma City over the weekend as a direct result of my blog.

My blog began simply as a means to communicate with family members living out of state. From time to time, I sent pictures of the kids when they performed in a play or took part in some other community event. I never expected non-family to notice my blog, much less to follow anything I say.

As it turns out, several individuals from Oklahoma did take notice and began to leave comments on my blog. From comments and emails, to Skype calls, human relationships began to emerge.

But this isn't how I generally build relationships. I never intentionally sought friends online through email or chat. If anything, the idea frightens me just a little. Everything about my newfound blog friendships drove me toward uncharted waters.

Things took a massive leap into the unknown when one of my Oklahoma friends invited Rhonda and I to visit. Once I worked through my own misgivings, the thought of visiting excited me. On the other hand, Rhonda worked through issue in her own time. "How do we know who these people are?"

A few close family members reminded us of negative news reports involving online dating gone bad, or deviants who lure away minors for immoral purposes. But we weren't dating, and we're not minors. What's more, we made connections with several people over a long period of time.

We were simply a group of bloggers joined by a common thread, so we made the leap and traveled to Oklahoma. Our trip was very rewarding. In fact, we made connections far more meaningful than I would have expected in such a short time. In many ways encounter felt like an act of destiny.

In blog posts to come, I plan to highlight the connections we made.

The photograph above was taken at the Chickasaw National Recreation Area near Sulphur, Oklahoma.

Coming Soon

Rhonda and I got up this morning at 5:45 to catch our flight from Oklahoma to Salt Lake City. Of course, if we translate this to Pacific Daylight Time, we actually got up at 3:45 am. Now we're home and I'm thoroughly exhausted. I would love to post pictures from our trip, but I'm just too damn tired. Maybe I'll have more to say tomorrow after a good night's sleep.

Oklahoma

I'm blogging from Oklahoma and making some amazing friends. However, the night sky draws me in with its hypnotic wind and flashes of lightning. I'm just too busy drinking up the last remnants of my trip to sit a minute longer at my computer. I'll just have to blog my experiences later.

Bree

The blogosphere is creating a suprising network of interconnected people.

Yesterday afternoon, I met one of my fellow Spokane bloggers for lunch. Of course, I was excited to make a human connection with someone from the alternate reality of blogging, but we also met for practical reasons.

Bree writes a local blog titled Life After Expo 74. The title reflects something of my favorite city, but her connections to my world run much deeper. She teaches science for Wellpinit Public Schools and interacts daily with many of my friends and family from the Spokane Reservation. More importantly, she has a heart a teach science with respect for the cultural traditions of the Spokane Tribe. Just check out her recent blog post about building pit houses.

The main purpose of our meeting was to collaborate on creating a cultural exchange between the Ecuador youth coming to this area and the students at the Wellpinit school.

Needless to say, I am very excited to see how this project unfold.

Followers

The new format of this blog allows me to gather "followers," other bloggers who admire my writing, enjoy my photographs, or otherwise read my posts. Come to find out, I already had four followers before I even knew the feature existed. Of course, now that I recognize the potential of an expanded readership, let the evangelizing begin. If you're a blogger, this is your altar call to the Blog of Moses. You'll find the appropriate link listed in the left side panel, titled "Follow this blog." Take a leap of faith, click the link, and become one of my devoted followers... ;)

Redesign

After battling many months of personal resistance, I finally decided to re-structure my blog from the older "template" format, to what Blogger calls a "layout" format. Despite my initial hesitation, layouts have made my life as a blogger infinitely more convenient.

My primary reservation was that I would lose all the template modifications made over the years. Previous to the switch, modifications often required me to manually change the HTML code, often through a tedious and frustrating process of trial and error. I was never formally trained in HTML, so not only was it difficult to find the proper code sequences, the smallest typo could make the entire template malfunction. After I finally created a workable template through sheer force of will, I hated to lose my template and begin again.

Ironically, layouts provided an easy fix to the very issue holding me back all these months. They allow me to re-create everything and more, and they do it without all the confusing manipulations to the HTML code.

The layout format does everything I ever needed before, and adds new dynamic features. For example, prior to the change, my blog featured a static list of fellow bloggers. If a link stopped working or changed, I had to re-write the code manually. Now Blogger creates the list for me, and also provides a real-time display whenever the other blogs are updated. I'm just now beginning to experiment with many of the other interesting features.

1000

This is my 1,000th post on the Sulustu blog!

My cousin-in-law Chris Chandler and her children are the subjects of my 1,000th post on this blog. She called me earlier this week and asked me to take pictures of her family. We originally went to Corbin Park, but all the leaves have already fallen, so we went to Bowl and Pitcher instead. It was a bright, cold, and sunny afternoon, with the river and evergreen trees as a backdrop; perfect for pictures.

Check out my Flickr page to see all the shots we took today.

Influence

Vicki Broden with dolls from Otavalo, Ecuador.

A person never knows the extent of his or her influence.

Just yesterday I made an interesting connection as a result of this blog. A woman by the name of Vicki Broden works for Adult Basic Education in Colville and knows several of my previous co-workers. She happened to notice my blog one day while these same friends were reviewing online pictures of my trip to Ecuador. Vicki is originally from Quito, so naturally she took an interest in seeing photographs from her home.

She recognized all of the places we visited. In particular, she enjoyed the pictures from Avenida Amazonas in downtown Quito. As a little girl, she lived in the same neighborhood with her family.

Vicki was also moved by my account of the men with long hair in the LDS Church in Otavalo, so much that she brought two dolls to our faculty meeting as a gift for me. The dolls provide an accurate representation of the typical indigenous clothing of the Otavalo region. She especially wanted me to have the doll representing the Indian man with long hair.

I don't think I've ever received such a beautiful gift from someone who had been a complete stranger to me only moments before. Her gift moved and inspired me.