Most Americans in the age of Trump are not, like the subjects of a totalitarian regime, subjected to state terror. But even before the coronavirus, they were subjected to constant, sometimes debilitating anxiety. One way out of that anxiety is to relieve the mind of stress by accepting Trumpian reality. Another—and this too is an … Continue reading Staying Engaged: Why I Decided to Read A Book
“Going low is easy, which is why people go to it. It’s easy to go low. It’s easy to lead by fear. It’s easy to be divisive. It’s easy to make people feel afraid. ... what I learned from eight years in the White House, this life, this world, our responsibility in it is so … Continue reading Emboldened to Be Their Worst Selves: How Do We Rise Above? More Importantly, Should We?
I think probably kindness is my number one attribute in a human being. I'll put it before any of the other things like courage, or bravery, or generosity, or anything else. ~Roald Dahl Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or softened the fiber of a free people. ~FDR Do your little bit of good … Continue reading On Carrots and Sticks: Positive Reinforcement Stands Out in Visceral Times
“We’re still in the midst of a concerted, well-funded effort to undermine American democracy.” ~Hillary Clinton "I'm astonished that more people don't see, or can't face, America's existential crisis." ~Hillary Clinton "Donald Trump has never stopped figuratively shooting people on 5th Avenue. Unsurprising, because that’s who and what Donald Trump is. What is entirely inexplicable … Continue reading Why Our Leaders Need To React, and Act, and What I’m Watching This Week
It’s a bit like these two donkeys are walking along the bridge, and one of them doesn’t have anything on his back and the other one is covered with packages and bales and bundles. The first donkey says, “Jesus, that’s quite a load you got on.” And the second donkey says, “What load?” You get used … Continue reading The Green Backpack, Tired Legs, and Why I Think You’re Doing A Great Job
“The malice of the wicked was reinforced by the weakness of the virtuous” ~Winston Churchill "The bad things are disproportionately destabilizing and the good things are insufficiently fortifying." ~Julia Ioffe, quoting a friend "The trouble is, you think you have time." ~Jack Kornfield (Buddha's Little Instruction Book) I ran across two quotes this week that … Continue reading On Weariness, Weakness, Time, and How You Can Defend Democracy In Five Minutes
It is not in numbers, but in unity, that our great strength lies; yet our present numbers are sufficient to repel the force of all the world. ~Thomas Paine, Common Sense (1776) Have you ever seen a redwood tree? With the wildfires that currently threaten the redwoods and sequoias, they've been on my mind a lot lately. … Continue reading Stronger. Together.
I am worried about our tendency to over invest in things and under invest in people. ~John Kenneth Galbraith When I was a kid, things felt different. They were different. It was a long time ago. I painted my nails Electric Yellow, drank Tab, and wore my favorite blue jelly shoes everywhere. And I remember … Continue reading Will America Invest in America Again?
I wish we weren't fighting all the time to protect women's rights, to protect women's health. ~Hillary Rodham Clinton The most difficult thing is the decision to act. The rest is merely tenacity. ~Amelia Earhart Friends, I honestly don't know what to say. It's been a tough week. Since Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away last … Continue reading Here We Go Again: Drawing inspiration from 1969
There are no extra pieces in the universe. Everyone is here because he or she has a place to fill, and every piece must fit itself into the big jigsaw puzzle. ~Deepak Chopra I've been doing a lot of puzzles lately. There's something soothing about them. Maybe it's the almost meditative search for the right … Continue reading Putting the Puzzle Pieces Together
Small Deeds Done 