Joy may be in short supply right now, but take the wins when we can get them

 On this last day of June, the rulings just keep rolling in and some we win, some we lose.  So, let's celebrate our wins:

• Birthright citizenship, survives for now
• Voting by mail, survives for now
• SCOTUS ruled for E. Jean Carroll

One can only imagine how these rulings are affecting a certain person, but for the rest of us, take the small victories.  Even the ruling today about transgender athletes, won't affect current Minnesota laws as per Gender Justice:

"Today, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld state laws that bar transgender girls from participating in girls’ school sports — a painful setback for transgender youth in 27 states with discriminatory bans, including our neighbors in North Dakota. But the Court’s decision does not overrule Minnesota’s trans-inclusive laws and policies. Despite today’s rulings, trans and nonbinary young people in Minnesota can and will continue to play alongside their teammates, and be treated with the dignity they deserve. "

So, if you are in need of something that will lift you up, pick up a copy of 

It is a story about kindness.  You may find it slow or schmaltzy, but I found it entertaining and delightful.

And if you want to do something that will give me some joy, please consider donating to my July walk for the American Cancer Society.  You can make your donation on my Facebook page.

As we close out June and the end of Pride Month, I hope you are finding some joy in nature, relationships, social gatherings, or maybe you attended a great concert or found a really good book that just lifted your spirits.  I hope you are finding joy on a regular basis.  And just one last reminder, early voting has started in Minnesota, so please plan on voting early, and in person.  The sooner the better.

A little joy this week

 

The Obama Presidential Center opened this week.  In a week of negativity originating in the D.C. area by the usual suspects, it was refreshing to listen to encouraging speeches and watch videos of the Obamas reading to children.  A public library exists in the new building.  A garden water feature to honor his mother, a picnic area to honor Michelle's father and a museum to honor her mother.  

And there was laughter.  Biggest laugh by Hillary when Michelle mentioned "the Peace Prize." 

A video of some of the interior exhibits in the museum.

And a video of the Obamas reading Where the Wild Things Are.

A little joy is what we needed this week.

Looking for hope in all the wrong places...

 It has been a challenging couple of months.  I am afraid I did fall into the trap of despair, briefly.  But I'm back! And I've put some post it notes on my desk to remind me to not go so long without writing something positive.  So here goes.

I just finished reading An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960's by Doris Kearns

This book was a fascinating account of the behind the scenes political activities focused on the speech writing of Dick Goodwin for JFK, LBJ, Eugene McCarthy, and RFK.  I learned so much about the times I lived through, but was fairly young at the time.  Aware of many of the events, but just in reading this book, how many of the readers here know just how much LBJ was responsible for?  I think too many of us associate him with the escalation of the Vietnam War and ignore the amount of social change he helped usher through Congress and especially the 89th Congress.  

Here's a brief list:

• NASA - chief legislative leader for creation of NASA in 1958
• Civil Rights Act - 1964
• Voting Rights Act - 1965
• Fair Housing Act - 1968
• Medicare and Medicaid - 1965
• Higher Education Act - 1965 that many of us who had work-study in college benefited from
• Immigration and Nationality Act - 1965
• Created Head Start in May 1965
• and more

And so much social upheaval.  The riots, the assassinations, the missed opportunities because of the assassinations.  Reading about the pettiness of previous political leaders, puts a bit of perspective on the current outrageous behavior of he who will not be named.  Nor will I forget that many of these programs are being dismantled by SCOTUS.  However, the pendulum may swing back.  It is a fascinating account and worth spending time to read just how much was accomplished.

We are, of course, looking for those who will lead us out of the morass we are living in.  I think if you have a chance to read something you are most unlikely to see out on your own, I recommend Pope Leo's first encyclical.  Bishop Marianne Budde has a piece in her Substack - Reflections on Pope Leo's First Encyclical. Truth has been in the news recently with the Scott Pelley episode with 60 Minutes and his revelation about being pressured to present untrue information.  So this section jumped out at me:

"The search for truth is an essential element of democracy, which is itself a means of contributing to the common good. When questions about what is true lose their appeal, and a pragmatism takes hold that is content with what appears useful or effective, then democratic life is weakened. After all, democracy does not consist of rules and procedures alone, but above all of a solid concordance with the facts and a genuine commitment to the good of individuals and society as a whole. Indifference to the truth leads, slowly but surely, to a descent into totalitarianism. As the philosopher Hannah Arendt wrote, the ideal subjects of such regimes are not so much those who are ideologically convinced, but rather “people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction (i.e., the reality of experience) and the distinction between true and false (i.e., the standards of thought) no longer exist.” 

There are more statements in the encyclical, "Magnifica humanitas: On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence" and it worth taking the time to read.  I doubt very many people have ever read papal encyclicals in the past, but Pope Leo is someone who I believe will make a very visible difference in our lifetimes. 

There are 153 days until the November election.  What is giving you hope?  What are you doing currently to contribute to the "common good"?   And what are you reading that is providing you with sustenance during these challenging times?  Feel free to share in the Comments section.

More Recommended Reading - Love In Action

 Today I had some of the members of the Joy is an Act of Resistance group over for a potluck lunch.  Smaller group this time, but we had just as much fun and joy and terrific food.  These lunches just do a world of good for my heart.  However, today one episode has stayed with me.  We naturally veered into the world of the insane one and the word "hate" come up.  I have been trying very hard not to "hate" those involved in the chaos of their own making, but I was also surprised by the person who expressed this hate.  Not someone I would normally associate with the word.  So tonight after a failed attempt to attend a social function only to find no parking at all within a reasonable distance, I came home and picked up a book I have picked up and put down too many times to count.  But tonight it seemed like the right book for the right time.  And just reading the introduction I knew this is a book that I will indeed finish this time, but first I need to share with others.   The reason being that I really believe our chaos is caused by people who hate too much.  And when I read, "Actions rooted in love and compassion are the only way to solve the crises of the world" I decided it was important to share this book with others. 

I originally picked this book up after reading Martin Luther King, Jr.'s book, Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community? MLK was influenced by Howard Thurman and his focus on nonviolence and Thurman was influenced by Mahatma Gandhi.  And if you aren't familiar with the writings by Howard Thurman, take some time to track down his works also.  They are important because their focus on nonviolence for the Civil Rights movement has also influenced the response in Minnesota to ICE.  I have had several conversations with others about the choice made in the Twin Cities to focus on nonviolence in the face of the extreme cruelty of ICE in Minnesota this winter.  And we did have the eyes of the nation on us as a result. Two beautiful people were killed as a result of the actions by ICE individuals and we still hope justice will eventually be served.  But in the meantime, I think we need to continue to promote the fact that love will win over hate.  Which brings me to the book I think more people need to read.  

So I will come back in a bit of time and add more to this topic, but for now, putting this book out there and would love to hear from others who take the time to find a copy and read it.

Namaste.

Recommended Reading and a clip from Bruce Springsteen in Minneapolis on March 31

 I knew it had been a while since I last wrote, but I didn't realize I missed the entire month of March.  Granted, there has been a lot going on, and nothing good really.  However, I should have at least posted after the outstanding NoKings Rally we had in Saint Paul on March 28.  And I got a lot of joy from attending the Bruce Springsteen Concert on March 31 in Minneapolis.  But between the war, ongoing ICE detentions, and of course the ongoing outrageous threats that apparently don't even cause a ripple of outrage from anyone anymore, it has been hard to sit down and find something to write about that provides hope, much less joy.  Although, attending the NoKings rally in Saint Paul with Bruce Springsteen leading off, and speakers like Jane Fonda and Bernie, and Joan Baez did give me some hope.  Turnout was huge.  And that gave me joy.  People were joyful and there were no incidents.  So that was good.  And the kickoff of Bruce Springsteen's latest tour started in Minneapolis and from the very beginning, we knew this was going to be a great concert.  Three hours. Nonstop. No breaks.  Just great political commentary and wonderful music.  You can listen to to his opening remarks and the first two songs on this YouTube clip.

This isn't the recommended reading though.  I just wanted to preserve the best opening to a Springsteen concert, ever.  Sorry, if you aren't a Springsteen fan, for these times and for someone who is poking the tiger and doing a really good job of it too, you really should embrace him.  Besides, he wrote the Streets of Minneapolis and it is truly a song that not only will help keep Renee and Alex in people's minds, it is a heartfelt tribute and a song that captures what 2026 will mean for Minnesota forever.  So, sorry for the digression, but staging a concert tour as a protest against the current regime is just something that gives me hope and joy.

So here's the recommended reading: The Beginning Comes After the End; Notes on a World of Change by Rebecca Solnit.  And the reason I am recommending it is because in a calm manner she demonstrates why we should have hope in this crazy chaos we are currently going through.  Or as I am fond of saying, the current "shitstorm."  If you are a Heather Cox Richardson fan, you will find a new person to follow in Rebecca Solnit.  In her very first chapter she discusses the metamorphosis of a caterpillar to butterfly.  "A butterfly is the end of a caterpillar. The beginning--the next era--comes after the end of the last one, and in between comes a lot of falling apart."  [p.4]. And so begins her analysis of all the social change we have been through and as you follow along she explains the backlash we are experiencing, alternative perspectives that are starting to take hold, and what and why we have to hold onto in terms of hope.  it is a short book. 130 pages.  If you pick it up and read it, you have to come back and leave a comment.  And of course there is a YouTube video of her discussing her book if you want to take a look.  It is an hour long.

What can I do to help while also feeling I am not doing enough...

Although today we have heard that ICE will be "leaving soon", I fear this is more directly related to the vote taking place tomorrow.  I hope it is true, but based on previous actions by the current regime, I have my doubts.  In the meantime, I have had several conversations lately about "not doing enough."  One was with a woman who has a 16 year old daughter who is very stressed because she doesn't feel she is doing enough.  So many young people are stressed and anxious during these days of intense ICE activity in Minnesota.   Today at my mindfulness class, our instructor read a poem from Joanna Macy's Active Hope: How to Face the Mess We're in with Unexpected Resilience & Creative Power.  I think it is a gentle reminder that doing just one small thing to make someone else feel loved is doing enough.  We can't all chase ICE, and volunteer opportunities exceed the available people power, so the following may help you feel that just doing one small thing on a daily basis is enough.

When you act on behalf

            of something greater than yourself,

            you begin

            to feel it acting through you

            with a power that is greater than your own.

            This is grace.

            Today, as we take risks

            for the sake of something greater

            than our separate, individual lives,

            we are feeling graced

            by other beings and by Earth itself.

            Those with whom and on whose behalf we act

            give us strength

            and eloquence

            and staying power

            we didn't know we had.

            We just need to practice knowing that

            and remembering that we are sustained

            by each other

            in the web of life.

            Our true power comes as a gift, like grace,

            because in truth it is sustained by others.

            if we practice drawing on the wisdom

            and beauty

            and strengths

            of our fellow humans

            and our fellow species

            we can go into any situation

            and trust

            that the courage and intelligence required

            will be supplied. 

p. 110, 3rd edition.  Poem edited by Tom Atlee, founder of the Co-Intelligence Institute.

 

 

Some encouraging news, but not about ICE

 Last night caucuses were held in Minnesota.  I hadn't attended a caucus for quite a while because the last caucus I attended was so poorly run and it was just chaos.  Not last night. Last night was very different--well organized, efficient, and a much more pleasant experience.  But what was also different? The turnout.  The number of people attending.  What was especially great was the number of younger people.  This was not just a bunch of old folks.  Not this time.  And there was diversity in my room as well.  Turnout was amazing and the reports from the DFL are as follows:

"Minnesota DFL

• Early reports from DFL officials indicate at least 30,000 people gathered across the state for in-person caucuses.
• We saw rooms filled well beyond capacity, standing room only in classrooms and gymnasiums, cars around the block, and lines stretching out the door.
• In Eagan, one site reported more than 75% first-time caucus-goers.
• In Lyon County, organizers reported record attendance for a non-presidential year, and in Fillmore County, a precinct ran out of chairs as crowds kept coming.
• Longtime organizers across Minnesota said they’d never seen turnout like this — even in presidential years.

That’s what happens when our communities refuse to be divided. That’s what our state looks like when we show up together."

When I arrived in talking to the conveners, they expected everyone would be a delegate who wanted to be a delegate, but then people just kept coming. They had never seen a turnout like last night. And I remember how crowded it was at the last caucus I went to - it was the Democratic Presidential election with Obama vs. Clinton. So, this is definitely a sign. People are ready to fight for democracy, fight for our rights, fight for the rights of immigrants, and more.

And I got to meet some neighbors I hadn't known before, but will get to know better because we are all delegates going to the next stage. It was a good night. And it not only gave me joy, it gave me hope.

Last night and today's decision by the Supreme Court to allow new California Congressional Districts to stand.

We needed some good news.