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.