Inspired local resident launches "Walk for Peace"

In late October of last year, Buddhist monks from the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth, Texas, began a 2,300-mile "walk for peace" that concluded just over two weeks ago in Washington, D.C. Feeling inspired by the demonstration of peace, Cathlamet resident Collette McKnight said, "I saw the impact that these humble humans have had and I thought it was so remarkable. The world needs more of this." Despite her "longing inside to walk with them," Collette still looked for ways to "create peace for herself and maybe a few others" and decided to start a "Walk for Peace" here in Cathlamet. Noting she "feels more centered and aligned with her true self" and "more empowered to return and face the world after a walk," Collette said, "The world seems a little better, more hopeful, and more magical when you're walking with other people who have the same longing for peace as you do. It's something small, but imagine if there was a peace walk in every community. Imagine if we could dissolve boundaries and dividing lines and unite with a common desire."

Opining that most people are "good" and "want the same things," Collette said, "Someone has to hold the vision for a better world and believe it's possible. The ripple effect is tangible for me. I'm a better mom. I can create a more peaceful home, am better able to engage in my community, and feel fortified to go forth and do what I can."

Every Friday at 12:30 p.m., Collette invites everyone to come participate in the "Walk for Peace" at the Julia Butler Hansen Refuge for the Columbian White-Tailed Deer (46 Steamboat Slough Rd.). Collette starts each walk with a thought, passage, quote etc. One of the quotes Collette noted she remembers "anytime she feels overwhelmed and powerless at the chaos in the world" is by Author/Political Satirist Patrick Jake (PJ) O'Rourke, who said, "Everybody wants to save the Earth; nobody wants to help mom do the dishes."

Participating in the most recent "Walk for Peace" on Friday, Feb. 27, Rosburg resident Carillon Nichol said, "This is the most healing, cleansing thing that I have done in a long time. I go home from these, and I'm tired, but I feel clean and light. It's lovely."

During Friday's walk, Cathlamet resident Kevin Going said, "There's just a lot going on in our world right now. The idea of peace and walking for peace really just starts with us. Sometimes you feel powerless to change a bigger picture - what's happening nationally or internationally - but if I can start here with myself, hopefully that radiates out a little bit to someone else and then that radiates from that person to someone else. The monks walking weren't political; they were just walking. People gravitated to them because of what they were doing and their energy."

Puget Island resident Paula Marx Rush noted we, like the Columbian white-tailed deer, "need that refuge [and] that sanctuary." Regarding the weekly "Walk for Peace," Cathlamet resident Sue Docker said, "This is a small thing, but it's a step in the right direction."

To find the "Walk for Peace," upon entering the Julia Butler Hansen Refuge, turn left and follow the road (2-3) miles back to the trailhead. The next "Walk for Peace" takes place at 12:30 p.m. on Friday, March 6.