I’ve been trying to conjure the feeling I had about a year ago—reeling from all the pandemic protocols, taking rage hikes up the nearby hill, desperate for some sense of collective action in the midst of so much insularity. Mostly what I remember is joining the river of people heading down my street towards the high school where the protest was happening—the pure relief of seeing them, of knowing there was a larger story unfolding.
Thank you for this, Courtney. Summer has always been the hardest season for me, because the spatial distance is starkest, at least within my circles. Dr. King said Sunday morning was the most segregated hour; I feel this all summer, as part of my world escapes to beautiful nature, while another part keeps the lights on & arc bending forward. Both are necessary! Just not fairly shared. Last summer I felt a relief from the Instagram disparity; this summer I feel myself clenching again. People need rest & joy & beauty; I just hope people with relative comfort wont over-convince ourselves that we earned a gluttony of self-care. May we each find the right balance of checking out & showing up 🙏
Yes. Thank you for articulating my feelings, as you often do. I try to live mindfully and contribute to improve the quality of life in my small sphere. As I get older (70 this year), I try to balance life choices using the Serenity prayer as a guide. Still and yet, I ask myself, Is it enough?
Thank you Courtney - I had high hopes that we might choose differently as we emerge from the pandemic. Nicola Sturgeon of Scotland said we could choose how things will be, based on our values.
"People talk about recovery as if it's some kind of neutral topic. It's not. What you recover to is down to the choices you make, and the values that underpin those."
It seems we are in such a rush to return to 'normal' that we aren't being at all thoughtful about it. sigh.
But - we can make individual choices, and continue to inform our governments of our wishes for change....for inclusivity, equity, climate care, elder care, education.
Thank you for this, Courtney. Summer has always been the hardest season for me, because the spatial distance is starkest, at least within my circles. Dr. King said Sunday morning was the most segregated hour; I feel this all summer, as part of my world escapes to beautiful nature, while another part keeps the lights on & arc bending forward. Both are necessary! Just not fairly shared. Last summer I felt a relief from the Instagram disparity; this summer I feel myself clenching again. People need rest & joy & beauty; I just hope people with relative comfort wont over-convince ourselves that we earned a gluttony of self-care. May we each find the right balance of checking out & showing up 🙏
The thin space. Yes. This space of tenderness is so sacred. I don’t want to forget that feeling, in all its sorrow and joy.
Yes. Thank you for articulating my feelings, as you often do. I try to live mindfully and contribute to improve the quality of life in my small sphere. As I get older (70 this year), I try to balance life choices using the Serenity prayer as a guide. Still and yet, I ask myself, Is it enough?
I'm with you on this. I love being without a mask, but that was a wake-up call and we can't go back to sleep--especially we white people.
Thank you Courtney - I had high hopes that we might choose differently as we emerge from the pandemic. Nicola Sturgeon of Scotland said we could choose how things will be, based on our values.
"People talk about recovery as if it's some kind of neutral topic. It's not. What you recover to is down to the choices you make, and the values that underpin those."
It seems we are in such a rush to return to 'normal' that we aren't being at all thoughtful about it. sigh.
But - we can make individual choices, and continue to inform our governments of our wishes for change....for inclusivity, equity, climate care, elder care, education.