I've been registering to the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings for some comfort.
"I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.
"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."
Gandalf then goes on to explain that there are other forces at work in the world besides the will of evil. 💙
I look at this moment much like i did when Bezos refused to endorse a candidate: angry, disappointed and ready to take drastic action. But I held my powder for a bit and, rather than cancel my subscription, stayed and continued to support those journalists who were on the front lines. If all the good people with influence go elsewhere there will be no one to fight the good fight, at a time we desperately need it. It’s not easy to pull up stakes, but it’s easier than staying and resisting. I think that if we truly love this country (and if you subscribe to this post, you do), then staying and fighting is really the only option. How one fights is a very personal decision, whether it be through volunteering, donating, protesting or engaging. All are important. All are critical. All will eventually move the needle.
Germany was all the poorer for forcing the Jews to flee (after all, we ended up with Einstein). We will lose many great people as well. But we don’t have to be part of the problem unless the government makes us so.
Please realize, though, for some of us who follow John, our best option might be to leave before we get rounded up and incarcerated. Staying to fight might not be an option, if we intend to live free.
That’s always the risk isn’t it? I think of the French resistance in WWII, the Germans and Dutch and others who stayed to quietly protect those who could not protect themselves. Certainly this isn’t for everybody, and I would never try to shame those who do what they feel they must, whatever it is. I”m just saying that it is an option, and a noble one.
Climbing out of the dark is easier with the help of others...we can indeed do so much more together than we can do alone. There were more than 73 million who voted for that vision of a better future. We can make it happen, if we can reach the 89 million who didn't vote.
Little by little I have been able to do this. One thing that helps me is being quiet and turning off the noise around me. Thank you for this community.
Demand a recount. The election was lost by less than 250,000 votes in the swing states. Down ballot Democratic candidates won while Trump took the swing state. Contact your state representative or state Democratic Party or Secretary of State and anyone else who might listen and demand a recount while the current administration holds office. Only a few states are doing it currently. Don’t let the bad guy just walk off with victory when we know the voting machines were breached and the software was exposed. Not when Mr. Starlink has become our Shadow President and plans to cut the social safety net which protects those Jesus Christ instructed Christians to take care of - if they are going to follow His instructions!!!!
Totally agree. An IT professional has written a letter to VP Harris to request her to require a recount. He posted his letter on Substack. Please restack and share!
I've found some comfort in the Stoic practice of working on what I can change and shrugging off what I can't. It takes practice to do it. All the finger pointing is useless and wastes what time we have to do something to help ourselves, others, and our nation. Prepare as best you can over the next two months.
I've joined Bluesky. I'd dumped Twitter back when it was taken over (elon breaks all his toys). I dumped all things meta recently. It's refreshing to be in contact with like minds and with very few "undesirables". I've also committed to avoiding my knee jerk reactions of being shocked and appalled by the latter. After 10 years it had only weakened me, but fed them.
As I try to think of the most useful way I can use my time, I think about what I would be doing right now if Harris had won the election. After joyous celebration, here we would be still. Harris couldn’t wave a magic wand and make racism, sexism, homophobia, misogyny and poverty disappear. These ills would still be with us. Granted we would have had leadership to light the way, but we would have to do the work to create a just society. Today that work remains to us along with the threat that Trump’s agenda presents to our democracy. I gave my time and money toward Harris’ election. After our loss I will volunteer and donate to the Midterm efforts. I will give to the ACLU to fight Trump in the courts and in Congress. I will write to my legislators, Democrats and Republicans to let them know my expectations as their constituent. And I will find opportunities to give tangible support to local organizations that work to end racism, sexism, homophobia, misogyny, poverty and protect immigrant rights. I believe in the old axiom, we are the change we want to see.
I know two things to be absolutely true: God is still in control, and God loves each one of us. I do not believe that God created this mess we’re in. We are suffering because of sin—specifically greed and selfishness—of others and of our own sin. We are a stiff-necked people, and we (collectively) cause our own problems much of the time. Think about the Israelites in the desert for 40 years—they were sinful, and that’s what their sin led them to. Also, we are beginning to find out how expensive sin is—& not just in dollars.
Almost a decade ago now, I asked a fellow activist, “what’s the point; they’re all so ruthless and aren’t going to change.” She answered, “We bear witness. Always bear witness.” I’ve taken than to heart, so I bear witness with words, my feet, my heart, every sigh. I push back, ask questions, read so I have facts. I’ve met aggression, been put on a list at Breitbart, and been doxxed. And I bear witness with hundreds like me. I’m 76 and have been doing this for decades now, with brief reprieves. Those earlier decades, I now see, were practice for this.
John: I think you have so eloquently summarized the existential angst many of us are feeling in light of this election defeat. It sucks to be in the moral minority ... especially when the clarity between right and wrong seemed so self-evident. As dispirited as many of us feel, we must at least check-in once in a while and have hope that at some point we will see the tide turn in the direction we are hoping for.
In my life I've lived through 2 eruptions of Mt St Helens and spent weeks cleaning up ash, the end of the Cold War, a global pandemic and now the potential end of American democracy. Not what I thought I would see. And living in GA and being a Democrat I'm buying more guns, because I'm afraid of what's coming.
I've been registering to the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings for some comfort.
"I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.
"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."
Gandalf then goes on to explain that there are other forces at work in the world besides the will of evil. 💙
*re-listening. Come on autocorrect...
YES!! My favorite that I've been focusing on is a quote from Tolkien: "Oft hope is born when all is forlorn."
Another good one 🥹
I love that …. I’ve been binge watching for hope :)
Yes! I've been falling asleep to it lately. 😅
I look at this moment much like i did when Bezos refused to endorse a candidate: angry, disappointed and ready to take drastic action. But I held my powder for a bit and, rather than cancel my subscription, stayed and continued to support those journalists who were on the front lines. If all the good people with influence go elsewhere there will be no one to fight the good fight, at a time we desperately need it. It’s not easy to pull up stakes, but it’s easier than staying and resisting. I think that if we truly love this country (and if you subscribe to this post, you do), then staying and fighting is really the only option. How one fights is a very personal decision, whether it be through volunteering, donating, protesting or engaging. All are important. All are critical. All will eventually move the needle.
Germany was all the poorer for forcing the Jews to flee (after all, we ended up with Einstein). We will lose many great people as well. But we don’t have to be part of the problem unless the government makes us so.
Please realize, though, for some of us who follow John, our best option might be to leave before we get rounded up and incarcerated. Staying to fight might not be an option, if we intend to live free.
That’s always the risk isn’t it? I think of the French resistance in WWII, the Germans and Dutch and others who stayed to quietly protect those who could not protect themselves. Certainly this isn’t for everybody, and I would never try to shame those who do what they feel they must, whatever it is. I”m just saying that it is an option, and a noble one.
This 73 yr old first born Danish-American totally agrees! If my husband & I were younger & still working, we'd be off to Denmark!
Climbing out of the dark is easier with the help of others...we can indeed do so much more together than we can do alone. There were more than 73 million who voted for that vision of a better future. We can make it happen, if we can reach the 89 million who didn't vote.
Thank you, John Pavlovitz.
Little by little I have been able to do this. One thing that helps me is being quiet and turning off the noise around me. Thank you for this community.
Demand a recount. The election was lost by less than 250,000 votes in the swing states. Down ballot Democratic candidates won while Trump took the swing state. Contact your state representative or state Democratic Party or Secretary of State and anyone else who might listen and demand a recount while the current administration holds office. Only a few states are doing it currently. Don’t let the bad guy just walk off with victory when we know the voting machines were breached and the software was exposed. Not when Mr. Starlink has become our Shadow President and plans to cut the social safety net which protects those Jesus Christ instructed Christians to take care of - if they are going to follow His instructions!!!!
Totally agree. An IT professional has written a letter to VP Harris to request her to require a recount. He posted his letter on Substack. Please restack and share!
https://substack.com/home/post/p-151721941?
Thank you for sharing this. I've since subscribed to Stephen Spoonamore and his posts are very enlightening.
I've found some comfort in the Stoic practice of working on what I can change and shrugging off what I can't. It takes practice to do it. All the finger pointing is useless and wastes what time we have to do something to help ourselves, others, and our nation. Prepare as best you can over the next two months.
I've joined Bluesky. I'd dumped Twitter back when it was taken over (elon breaks all his toys). I dumped all things meta recently. It's refreshing to be in contact with like minds and with very few "undesirables". I've also committed to avoiding my knee jerk reactions of being shocked and appalled by the latter. After 10 years it had only weakened me, but fed them.
As I try to think of the most useful way I can use my time, I think about what I would be doing right now if Harris had won the election. After joyous celebration, here we would be still. Harris couldn’t wave a magic wand and make racism, sexism, homophobia, misogyny and poverty disappear. These ills would still be with us. Granted we would have had leadership to light the way, but we would have to do the work to create a just society. Today that work remains to us along with the threat that Trump’s agenda presents to our democracy. I gave my time and money toward Harris’ election. After our loss I will volunteer and donate to the Midterm efforts. I will give to the ACLU to fight Trump in the courts and in Congress. I will write to my legislators, Democrats and Republicans to let them know my expectations as their constituent. And I will find opportunities to give tangible support to local organizations that work to end racism, sexism, homophobia, misogyny, poverty and protect immigrant rights. I believe in the old axiom, we are the change we want to see.
I know two things to be absolutely true: God is still in control, and God loves each one of us. I do not believe that God created this mess we’re in. We are suffering because of sin—specifically greed and selfishness—of others and of our own sin. We are a stiff-necked people, and we (collectively) cause our own problems much of the time. Think about the Israelites in the desert for 40 years—they were sinful, and that’s what their sin led them to. Also, we are beginning to find out how expensive sin is—& not just in dollars.
Almost a decade ago now, I asked a fellow activist, “what’s the point; they’re all so ruthless and aren’t going to change.” She answered, “We bear witness. Always bear witness.” I’ve taken than to heart, so I bear witness with words, my feet, my heart, every sigh. I push back, ask questions, read so I have facts. I’ve met aggression, been put on a list at Breitbart, and been doxxed. And I bear witness with hundreds like me. I’m 76 and have been doing this for decades now, with brief reprieves. Those earlier decades, I now see, were practice for this.
John: I think you have so eloquently summarized the existential angst many of us are feeling in light of this election defeat. It sucks to be in the moral minority ... especially when the clarity between right and wrong seemed so self-evident. As dispirited as many of us feel, we must at least check-in once in a while and have hope that at some point we will see the tide turn in the direction we are hoping for.
In my life I've lived through 2 eruptions of Mt St Helens and spent weeks cleaning up ash, the end of the Cold War, a global pandemic and now the potential end of American democracy. Not what I thought I would see. And living in GA and being a Democrat I'm buying more guns, because I'm afraid of what's coming.
I am so sad.
I've written comments the last 2 days and swish---up in the ether they go!
"May you live in interesting times."
Ancient Chinese curse