<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;">How delightful, Milan! I appreciate your humor and energy at 88 years of age. And I ,too, love the notion of keeping our stories alive.<div>Thank you,</div><div>Leah Early </div><div><br><div><blockquote type="cite"><div>On Jan 30, 2025, at 3:55 PM, Milan Hamilton via OE <oe@lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:115%;font-size:12pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif">First, I want to say a big heartfelt thank you to those of
you, my colleagues and friends, who responded to my earlier GoFundMe request on
behalf of our local Neighborhood Climate Action Redlands (ANCA Redlands) efforts.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:115%;font-size:12pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif">Second, I want to say thank you to all of you, who are now
members of my collegial council as we try to navigate the turbulent and heating-up
waters of the 21<sup>st</sup> century. We have done marvelous things as a body.
I just remembered the night Lyn Mathews invited Dave McClesky, Frank Knutson
and I to her little retirement community apartment and said those words or
something like them. And our good friend and mentor Georgianna McBurney was
constantly expressing similar sentiments. I am thankful for all we have done as
a people, trying to keep alive the dream MLK spoke of so eloquently just before
he was struck down.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:115%;font-size:12pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif">Third, I am thankful for all you as the Order dispersed have
accomplished and been able to share in vicariously through the gift of the
internet and social media, with all its flaws and pitfalls.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:115%;font-size:12pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif">Fourth, I am attaching a copy of the vision and goals our
ANCA Redlands crew have been operating out of and implementing for these past two
and a half years. If anything we are doing at the local level looks like it
might be of value in your piece of the globe, we are happy to share it. It was
the work of our colleagues in Denver who started this ANCA thing that inspired us
to give it a go here in Redlands. You can Google <a href="https://redlands-anca.hub.arcgis.com/" style="color:rgb(70,120,134)">ANCA Redlands or click the link</a>
if anyone you know might be interested. And just in case anyone missed my
GoFundMe appeal, I am happy to share that here as well—<span style="font-size:13.5pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;color:rgb(37,37,37);background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><a href="https://gofund.me/58b7b70b" style="color:rgb(70,120,134)">Click Here!</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:115%;font-size:12pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;color:rgb(37,37,37);background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial">Fifth, and last, I am sharing a couple of poems. The first
one was written and read to my writing group on the occasion of the mass
pardoning of the January 6<sup>th</sup> insurrectionists. The second was in
response to Linda asking me if I had written my birthday poem yet. (Our gang here
was in the habit of composing birthday songs for milestone birthdays and sadly,
as the gang has dwindled, so has our practice). So the poem I wrote seemed to be
more fitting for a song. The reason for sharing is that we all have a story to
tell. I don’t want any of yours to be lost. The inspiration for the song is the
great Merle Travis immortal hit “Sixteen Tons.” I have included an attached MP3 file to the
version I chose with a little help from AI.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 1pt;line-height:normal;font-size:12pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">A Very Personal Poem</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:115%;font-size:12pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">(on the
occasion of the pardon and release of 1500 January 6<sup>th</sup>
Insurrectionists)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 6pt;line-height:normal;font-size:12pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">I woke up this morning.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 6pt;line-height:normal;font-size:12pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Does that mean I’m woke?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 6pt;line-height:normal;font-size:12pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">I’m approaching number 88,</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 6pt;line-height:normal;font-size:12pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Grateful that I ain’t broke.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 6pt;line-height:normal;font-size:12pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">I may be badly bent.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 6pt;line-height:normal;font-size:12pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">I feel like something’s missing.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 6pt;line-height:normal;font-size:12pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">I can’t tell where it went.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 6pt;line-height:normal;font-size:12pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">If you know, don’t tell me.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 6pt;line-height:normal;font-size:12pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Maybe I’ll give it up for Lent.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 6pt;line-height:normal;font-size:12pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Can’t find my rose-colored glasses.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 6pt;line-height:normal;font-size:12pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Maybe I’ll borrow yours.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 6pt;line-height:normal;font-size:12pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">I watched them all get passes.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 6pt;line-height:normal;font-size:12pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">They just walked out the door,</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 6pt;line-height:normal;font-size:12pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">To join the huddled masses</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 6pt;line-height:150%;font-size:12pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Still yearning to know the score.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 3pt;line-height:normal;font-size:12pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Milan Hamilton</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:115%;font-size:12pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">January
23, 2025</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt 0.5in;line-height:115%;font-size:12pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><b><span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Eighty-Eight Years</span></b></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 1in; line-height: normal; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">1.<span style="font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-feature-settings:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:"Times New Roman"">
</span></span><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">I
– was born one mornin’ in the Great Depression,</span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 6pt 0.75in;line-height:normal;font-size:12pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Raised on the plains on a reservation,</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 6pt 0.75in;line-height:normal;font-size:12pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Got an education but I’m still not done,</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 6pt 0.75in;line-height:normal;font-size:12pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">My life rolls on ‘til the setting sun.</span></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt 0.75in; line-height: normal; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 6pt;line-height:normal;font-size:12pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> Chorus: Ya live eighty-eight years and whatta
ya get?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 6pt 0.75in;line-height:normal;font-size:12pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Another year older and ya ain’t dead yet.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 6pt 0.75in;line-height:normal;font-size:12pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">St. Peter’s still a-waitin’ for the dice to be rolled.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 6pt 0.75in;line-height:normal;font-size:12pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">But I’m not goin’ ‘til my story’s been told.</span></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt 0.75in; line-height: normal; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.75in; line-height: normal; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">2.<span style="font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-feature-settings:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:"Times New Roman"">
</span></span><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">It’s
2025 and where have I been.</span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 6pt 0.75in;line-height:normal;font-size:12pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">The years flew by – It’s beyond my ken.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 6pt 0.75in;line-height:normal;font-size:12pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">I better get a-writin’ ‘fore I’m too damn old,</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 6pt 0.75in;line-height:normal;font-size:12pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Before they lay me down – stiff and cold.</span></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt 0.75in; line-height: normal; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 6pt;line-height:normal;font-size:12pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> Chorus: Ya live eighty-eight years and whatta
ya get?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 6pt 0.75in;line-height:normal;font-size:12pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Another year older and ya ain’t dead yet.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 6pt 0.75in;line-height:normal;font-size:12pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">St. Peter’s still a-waitin’ for the dice to be rolled.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 6pt 0.75in;line-height:normal;font-size:12pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">But I’m not goin’ ‘til my story’s been told.</span></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt 0.75in; line-height: normal; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.75in; line-height: normal; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">3.<span style="font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-feature-settings:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:"Times New Roman"">
</span></span><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">My
life is a song – hasn’t been sung yet,</span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 6pt 0.75in;line-height:normal;font-size:12pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">No one to sing it but there’s no regret.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 6pt 0.75in;line-height:normal;font-size:12pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">I’ll sing it myself when the darkness comes,</span></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.75in; line-height: 150%; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">And go out dancin’ on the grim reaper’s
drum.</span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0in 0.75in;line-height:150%;font-size:12pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span></p><div style="margin: 0in; line-height: 150%; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> Chorus: Ya live eighty-eight years and whatta
ya get?</span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.75in; line-height: 150%; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Another year older and ya ain’t dead yet.</span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.75in; line-height: 150%; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">St. Peter’s still a-waitin’ for the dice
to be rolled.</span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.75in; line-height: 150%; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">But I’m not goin’ ‘til my story’s been
told.</span></div><div style="margin: 0in; line-height: 150%; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Milan
Hamilton, January 25, 2025, Thank you Merle Travis</span></i></div><div style="margin: 0in; line-height: 150%; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:small">-</span></div></div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr">Mellow Milan Hamilton<div>80 North Center Street</div><div>Redlands, CA 92373</div><div>Phone: (909) 943-1667</div><div>email: <a href="mailto:mellowmilan2@gmail.com" target="_blank">mellowmilan2@gmail.com</a></div></div></div></div>
<span id="cid:f_m6jza8c80"><ANCA Vision & Goals_20250128_0001.pdf></span><span id="cid:f_m6jzk3fy1"><Song.mp3></span>_______________________________________________<br>OE mailing list<br>OE@lists.wedgeblade.net<br>http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/oe-wedgeblade.net<br></div></blockquote></div><br></div></body></html>