Thursday, December 21, 2006

Connecting to the World

Rev. Carol Estes works for

justice, equality, and

spiritual wholeness


"Funny you selected the one [photo] with my
doggie Precious, who came to me
through a pet rescue operation
when she was six months old—she is seven
years old now. She had been badly abused and
her presence has changed my life tremendously.
We truly are a pair! Good choice!"
— Rev. Carol Estes


By Michael Chacko Daniels
Editor & Publisher, New River Free Press International

“Living with a visual challenge has definitely shaped my world differently,” says Rev. Carol Estes who is legally blind. “My response to the world stems from this place.”

“What makes Carol's story remarkable,” says Valerie Street, who nominated this San Francisco native for a Career Visions interview, “is that she has ‘not let challenges’ stand in her way of reaching out for opportunities including her latest: leaving her lifelong Bay Area home and moving to Chapel Hill, North Carolina without friends, family, or safety net, to complete her certification as Chaplain in Resident at the University of North Carolina (UNC).

“I think Carol's story is one that will touch many people, especially women who have been victims of domestic violence, were early mother's, or who are afraid of ‘dreaming their lives into existence.’

“The ‘light’ that Carol shines is one many people would marvel at beholding.”


Rev. Carol Estes at work.


A Carol Estes Data Bank

Born in San Francisco, California, during the sixties
and raised in the Haight-Ashbury district.
My mother, a migrant from Alabama,
was a single teenager with four children.
We lived on AFDC
(Aid to Families with Dependent Children)
for the first five years of my life.

High School

J. Eugene McAteer

College

University of San Francisco

Pacific School of Religion
(an affiliate of
Graduate Theological Union)
Berkeley, California

Teacher that influenced Carol Estes the most

My fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Margaret Penn,
because she was the first black teacher that I had.
I admired her intelligence and her beauty.
I have had many other marvelous teachers, however,
she is the one I have most tried to emulate.

Books that influenced Carol Estes the most

Maya Angelou <> I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings


Favorite Philosopher

Elizabeth Stroop


Favorite Singer

Phyllis Hyman


Favorite Quotation

Everything is not for everybody at the same time.
~ Author Unknown ~


Q__________________________Q

New River Free Press International

Tell us about yourself
Q__________________________Q

CE I am a proud mother of one and grandmother of one. I returned to school later in life because I could not figure out early on what my life’s calling was.

Currently, I am a pastor with the United Methodist Church and a Chaplain in Resident at UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.


Q__________________________Q

New River Free Press International

What makes you who you are?
Q__________________________Q

CE I would have to say the many obstacles that I have had to overcome, such as being legally blind.

I was diagnosed at the age of seventeen with a condition called Retinitis pigmentosa (RP).

At the moment, there is no ‘formal cure’ for this disease. It attacks the retina which sits directly on the optic nerve and if manipulated incorrectly permanent blindness can occur. This is a gradual and progressive disease.

It has taken a long time to come to grips with having this disability and, in the midst of it, to make sense out of its meaning in my life. And, to find/discover meaning for my life with limited vision.

Living with a visual challenge has definitely shaped my world differently and my response to the world stems from this place.

Q__________________________Q

New River Free Press International

What was your vision of society that

brought you to the work you do?
Q__________________________Q

CE Growing up as one of four children with an unwed mother, on a limited income, colored how I envisioned society. The painful reality was that my family’s disadvantaged economic status in society was not glamorous and, at times, quite shameful.

As a result, I viewed myself as not deserving, or less than, and this twisted image of self governed how I moved, or not, through the world. My vision of society was clouded by injustices, inequality, and internal dis-ease.

All of these things, and others too numerous to mention, have brought me to the work of facilitating justice, equality and spiritual wholeness.

Q__________________________Q

New River Free Press International

What do you think we should

remember as we remake the

world through the work we do?
 Q__________________________Q

CE We should remember to be kind, tolerant, and fair to each other and that there really is very little difference between us.

We might also remember that for each action there is a re-action occurring somewhere else in the universe, which can have a profound effect on others.

Q__________________________Q

New River Free Press International

Has your vision changed

as you have participated

in the remaking of the world?
 Q__________________________Q

CE Yes it has, I see health, happiness and wholeness occurring in individuals and as a result of their outlook (and, insight) shift; they want to share their discoveries with others in a harmonious way.

Q__________________________Q

New River Free Press International

What challenges do you perceive in

achieving your vision of society?
Q__________________________Q

CE The challenges that I see is that we live in a society of external distractions and that internal spiritual wholeness and satisfaction, which I believe creates external peace, is not valued as a significant asset of human development.

Q__________________________Q

New River Free Press International

What needs to be done

to overcome these challenges?
Q__________________________Q

CE Maybe, a renewed approach to the importance of internal (spiritual) development of humanity.

Q___________________________Q

New River Free Press International

What pointers would you give young

people of the 9/11 generation as they

work in public service assignments?
Q___________________________Q

CE To think, and act, upon others with kindness, tolerance, and good-will.

Also, hatred is a manifestation of an internal ill that can become a contagious epidemic if left untreated (or, undiagnosed).

Q____________________________Q

New River Free Press International

What personal lessons have you learned

from the effect of war on children

in Africa and Asia?
Q____________________________Q

CE I have learned that war, on any continent, does not affirm life, nor does it model peace or peace-making for the children who are the leaders of tomorrow.

I have also learned that the life-long and internal psychological effects stifle (and warp) mental, emotional, and spiritual growth and development in children of war.

Q_____________________________Q

New River Free Press International

What personal lessons have you learned

from the post-Hurricane Katrina

tragedies in New Orleans?
 Q_____________________________Q

CE I have learned that we have much work to do in this country, United States, as it relates to justice, equality, and poverty.

I have also learned that it tends to be easier to dismiss the preservation of human existence when it is deemed insignificant based on economics.

Finally, I learned that it is a good ideal to make copies of important documents and keep them in several places other than the primary home.

Q_____________________________Q

New River Free Press International

What personal and public lessons

have you learned from the devastation

caused by the Asian Tsunami and

the South Asian Earthquake?
Q_____________________________Q

CE Personally, I learned that life is fleeting and that it only lasts for a temporal moment and that I ought to find some pleasure in it in each moment of the day.

Publicly, I learned that there is an abundance of worldwide kindness and generosity.

Q_______________________________Q

New River Free Press International

How have these lessons changed your life?
Q_______________________________Q

CE I see more of my own connectedness to, and in, the world, and with others globally.

I also have a deeper appreciation of relationships.

These learned lessons have also shifted my commitment to the work that my life has called me to do locally, and around the world.

Finally, these lessons give me a deeper sense of gratitude for the smaller, maybe less significant, things in life, such as the spontaneous cooing of a newborn baby.

Retinitis Pigmentosa

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopdia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retinitis_pigmentosa

"Retinitis pigmentosa, or RP, is a genetic eye condition. In the progression of symptoms for RP, night blindness generally precedes tunnel vision by years or even decades. Many people with RP do not become legally blind until their 40s or 50s and retain some sight all their life. Others go completely blind from RP, in some cases as early as childhood. Progression of RP is different in each case."


All views expressed in the interview are those of the interviewee
and not those of the editor or this website.

This interview can also be read @:

http://indiawritingstation.com

NOTE: THIS INTERVIEW FORMAT IS THE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OF
MICHAEL CHACKO DANIELS AND HIS ELECTRONIC PUBLICATIONS:
NEW RIVER FREE PRESS INTERNATIONAL: US-INDIA WRITING STATION AND CAREER VISIONS FOR A SMALL PLANET.


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posted by Michael Chacko Daniels at 12:56 PM 0 comments