Imagine

I know we can save our earth if we all work together.  That is where I am focusing my imagination.  Better Angels may be just the way.  They do exist among us.  KAS

Too Deep and Mysterious for Words

It seems inappropriate to put words on the page.  Writing about silence simply fills it up with something it is not.  KAS

Beyond the Edge of the World

A place where wonder and awe reside.  When you think about all we have yet to learn, it is mind-boggling and hopeful.  This is most helpful these days when doom feels imminent.  That sort of thinking is all in my head and it is not useful to me or humanity.  We put men on the moon in the sixties!  We just landed on Mars!  Surely we can save our planet now.

Just to be Alive is a Grand Thing

Even in this simple sharing, her words are masterful.  "Racked with sorrow" what a phrase!  And how inspiring to know a human being can endure such intense desolation and remember to be grateful for the gift of life.  KAS

How Important You Are

Going to be working at this for the rest of my life.  The following quote was supposed to be for today.  It felt like way more than I could manage.  I changed my mind and posted this one to carry with me instead as it's challenge enough!  KAS

A lofty thought for sure.

The Oldest You've Been and the Youngest You'll Ever Be Again

How's that for a jolt?  The youngest I'll ever be again.  Letting that sink in.  It does urge one to make the most of this one life.  Keeping calm and staying crazy sounds like an oxymoron but perhaps not.  What does calmly crazy look like?  That's what I'm going to be contemplating today as I go about enjoying every single, silly moment. 

Happy for Charming Gardeners

People who spend time close to nature carry the wisdom of the earth with them.  It's almost mystical.  KAS

That's How the Light Gets In

This is in keeping with yesterday's post.  It brings to mind Leonard Cohen's lyric from Anthem; "Forget your perfect offering.  There's a crack, a crack in everything.  That's how the light gets in." It is fitting someone who is rare would have light coming in through their own unique cracks.  And it is inspiring to realize that light has the power to inspire and enliven others.  KAS

I am not Old, I am Rare

This is an exquisite piece of wisdom and one I am holding close to my heart with Thanksgiving.  KAS

I am not old…she said

I am rare.

I am the standing ovation

At the end of the play.

I am the retrospective

Of my life as art

I am the hours

Connected like dots

Into good sense

I am the fullness

Of existing.

You think I am 

waiting to die…

But I am waiting to 

be found

I am a treasure.

I am a map.

And these wrinkles are

Imprints of my journey

Ask me anything.

~ Samantha Reynolds

Terrified

If being terrified is what it takes to make great art,

there must be some amazing pieces 

coming to life in studios across the globe.

Gratefully, I have not been "terrified every minute of my life".

That could be from not paying enough attention or 

from paying too much attention and going numb.  

Who knows? Who cares?

It is what it is.

For me, the main take away is:

"never let it keep us from doing a single thing we want to do."

Namaste'

The Voice In My Head

Rather, it's a mishmash of everything and everyone I've ever encountered; an echo from my ancestors; the overheard chatter from next door; the song on the radio in the next car!  I am somewhere way below (and above and amidst and around) all that noise, in the stillness of wordlessness, the reverie of eternity.  KAS

Beyond Bad and Good

Either/or thinking is a well-worn rut in my brain.  I catch myself at it often.  A significant area of necessary practice in changing thoughts and themes which take hold when I'm unaware.  Being aware, as a witness to what is going on in the inner world is helpful.  That's where change happens. 

Do not be Daunted

Having just now read a story about the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela, not to mention Yemen and others, it's easy to feel overwhelmed, powerless and depressed.  I'm reminded of Stacy Abram's speech acknowledging the election would go to Kemp (see text below).  Her words are inspiring and help to banish some of the gloom. They also encourage me to keep doing whatever I can to work toward the values we hold dear.  

Text from Stacy Abram

"On September 18, thousands of Georgians began casting absentee ballots, determined to lift their voices in the democratic process of electing our leaders for the next two years, the next four years. A few weeks later, more than two million Georgians declared their choices, heading to polling places for early votes. Then, on November 6, more than a million folks arrived in precincts around our beloved state – anxious and excited to express their patriotism through the basic, fundamental act of voting. 

For these millions of Georgians, the act may have proven tedious and hard, but they had no doubts their votes would be counted. Certainly, there would be long lines and delays. Absolutely, a tired volunteer would mistype a name. And Nature would not be ignored – through rain or tornado warning or chilly weather.

We all understand challenges and complications; however, this year, more than two hundred years into Georgia’s democratic experiment, the state failed its voters. You see, despite a record high population in Georgia, more than a million citizens found their names stripped from the rolls by the Secretary of State, including a 92 year-old civil rights activist who had cast her ballot in the same neighborhood since 1968. Tens of thousands hung in limbo, rejected due to human error and a system of suppression that had already proven its bias. The remedy, they were told, was simply to show up – only they, like thousands of others, found polling places shut down, understaffed, ill-equipped or simply unable to serve its basic function for lack of a power cord. 

Students drove hours to hometowns to cast votes because mismanagement prevented absentee ballots from arriving on time. Parents stood in the fitful rain in four-hour lines, watching as less fortunate voters had to abandon democracy in favor of keeping their jobs. Eligible voters were refused ballots because poll workers thought they didn’t have enough paper to go around. Ballots were rejected by the handwriting police. Georgia citizens tried to exercise their constitutional rights and were still denied the ability to elect their leaders. Under the watch of the now former Secretary of State, democracy failed Georgians of every political party, every race, every region. Again.

The incompetence and mismanagement we witnessed in this election had been on display months before—in the Republican state legislative primary of Dan Gasaway. Counties, under the direction of the Secretary of State, issued flawed ballots – and not for the first time and not just there. But this time, the mistakes clearly altered the outcome. Rep. Gasaway, a Republican in a heavily Republican district, had to go to court to force a fair fight. Therefore, on December 4, tucked between run-offs for Secretary of State and the Public Service Commission, for one community, there will be justice in the process. Win or lose, the people in his district will finally have a say.

Many of the same Republicans who cheered on Rep. Gasaway have grumbled about the time we have taken to gain a remedy for fellow Georgians who faced a dizzying array of bad action, misinformation and gut-wrenching hardship.

But we are a mighty nation because we embedded in our national experiment the chance to fix what is broken. To call out what has faltered. To demand fairness wherever it can be found. Which is why on Election Night, I declared that our fight to count every vote is not about me. It is about us. It’s about the democracy we share and our responsibility to preserve our way of life. Our democracy – because voting is a right and not a privilege.

I stand here today as witness to that truth. This election is about all of us – as is the resolution of this moment.

I acknowledge that former Secretary of State Brian Kemp will be certified as the victor in the 2018 gubernatorial election.

But to watch an elected official – who claims to represent the people of this state, baldly pin his hopes for election on the suppression of the people’s democratic right to vote – has been truly appalling. So, to be clear, this is not a speech of concession.

Concession means to acknowledge an action is right, true or proper. As a woman of conscience and faith, I cannot concede. But my assessment is that the law currently allows no further viable remedy.

Now, I could certainly bring a new case to keep this one contest alive, but I don’t want to hold public office if I need to scheme my way into the post. Because the title of Governor isn’t nearly as important as our shared title. Voters. 

And this is why we fight on and why I want to say thank you. Thank you for organizing your communities and shattering records – more than 1.9 million voters who stood up for protecting our public schools, continued criminal justice reform, Medicaid expansion and real economic mobility for all of our counties. We won state House races and Senate races, a new seat in Congress and put America on notice that change is not coming – it has arrived. And you made it so.

But those who fear change pushed back, and so we waited for the whole truth of this election – good and evil - to come forth. So thank you for sharing your stories, for the tens of thousands of calls into our voter protection line. Thank you for volunteering your hours after the polls closed and for the past ten days. For driving to all 159 counties and for hearing the concerns of Georgia citizens, through tears and frustration and disappointment.

Because Georgia still has a decision to make about who will we be in the next election. And the one after that. And the one after that. So we have used this election and its aftermath to diagnose what has been broken in our process:

Make no mistake, the former Secretary of State was deliberate and intentional in his actions. I know that eight years of systemic disenfranchisement, disinvestment and incompetence had its desired effect on the electoral process in Georgia.

I also know that we live in a nation where four federal judges were necessary to force the counting of more ballots cast, in the face of Brian Kemp’s opposition and disregard to their lawful consideration.

I know that millions of Georgians, of Americans - of goodwill and various partisan beliefs - are enraged by these truths. In response, you may seek to vent your anger, or worse, turn away from politics because it can be as rigged and rotten as you’ve always believed.

I implore each of you to not give in to that anger or apathy but instead turn to action. Because the antidote to injustice is progress. The cure to this malpractice is a fight for fairness in every election held – in every law passed – in every decision made.

Pundits and hyper-partisans will hear my words as a rejection of the normal order. I’m supposed to say nice things and accept my fate. They will complain that I should not use this moment to recap what was done wrong or to demand a remedy. As a leader, I should be stoic in my outrage and silent in my rebuke.

But stoicism is a luxury and silence is a weapon for those who would quiet the voices of the people, and I will not concede because the erosion of our democracy is not right.

Regardless of party, we want what is best for our children, for our families, for our neighborhoods. We may not share the same faith, but we are knitted together by our belief in our potential for more. I will work in these coming weeks to elect John Barrow as our next Secretary of State – a man of principle and goodwill who will administer his responsibilities for the people – not his party. I will work to elect Lindy Miller as our next Public Service Commissioner, where she will speak for those who have been ignored for too long.

And I will pray for the success of Brian Kemp, that he will indeed be a leader for all Georgians. That he will pledge to fight for the rights of those who disagree with him – and keep his promises. That he will refuse the call of those who see how close this election was. Because we know that some propose to make voting even harder. They see voter engagement in communities of color and cry fraud or lie about the cost of democracy to justify closing more polling places. I pray he will reject this vicious and tired response - in favor of preserving what is left of our state’s reputation for equality and civil rights.

But I will not leave it to prayers alone. As I have for more than twenty years, I will stand with my fellow Georgians in pursuit of fairness. I did so as a college student speaking in the shadow of Lincoln and King at the 30th anniversary of the March on Washington. I did so as the Democratic Leader of the House and as the Democratic nominee for Governor of Georgia. And I will do so as a private citizen, ready to continue to defend those whose choices were denied their full expression.

Today, I announce the launch of Fair Fight Georgia, an operation that will pursue accountability in Georgia’s elections and integrity in the process of maintaining our voting rolls. In the coming days, we will be filing a major federal lawsuit against the state of Georgia for the gross mismanagement of this election and to protect future elections from unconstitutional actions.

We will channel the work of the past several weeks into a strong legal demand for reform of our elections system in Georgia. And I will not waver in my commitment to work across party lines and across divisions to find a common purpose in protecting our democracy. For a state that elects Democrats and Republicans and Independents. That elects leaders who will not tolerate an erosion of our values.

Fair Fight Georgia. Because these votes are our voices. We are each entitled to our choices. And we have always, Georgia, been at the forefront of speaking truth to whatever power may lay claim to leadership – if only for the moment. We will win because we are Georgia.

And we will get it done."

What If Our Religion Was Each Other

These thoughts need to become embedded in my existence.  I believe love is already the center but often buried so deeply it's difficult to discern.  Thanks to Ganga White for putting this so beautifully.  

Holding Yourself Together

 I'm often so caught up in my own drama and insecurity and confusion I lose sight of the fact someone else has their own challenges to contend with.  Upon remembering, I'm faced with the next phase of this thought process which is comparing difficulties.  "How can I be complaining when another has so much more to contend with?"  That sort of self-talk is best banished.  Seems much more helpful to recognize we are all in this together doing the very best we can.  Let's support each other and ourselves on this journey of humanity.

Let Love Be Messy

Messy is difficult to tolerate; right along with unexpected events which require kindness and patience and grace.  When you're armored up and prepared to defend, messy love may not be detectable.  Rather, weapons come out and things get tense and ugly.  How to turn those highly defended moments into messy love?  There is the question of the day.  I suppose the first thing is to pause and breathe.  Deep down beneath the armor and walls lies the truth of who I am...right in the center of the mess.  Sigh.  Much practice is necessary to befriend messy! 

Guard the Civil Rights and Civil Liberties of ALL Citizens

We are strong enough to hold true to our values and to work for what is right and just and decent in our society.  The powers opposed to the dignity and value of all may be mighty but it will not defeat us.  Truth endures.  Onward!  KAS

Everyone is Doing Their Best

My immediate response to this is that when their best is causing harm and they're using their life circumstances to abuse the power they possess over other's, we have a problem.  In that situation, the kindest, most respectful thing to do is to remove them from the position in order to minimize the damage. 

What You Cannot See

They can't be stacked up in dollar bills or trust fund account balances.  They work quietly, often in the background of wholehearted, decent people's lives.  These are the things I value and these are the things I bank on. KAS

Pleasure

Working on diverting the grip of the deeply embedded guilt buried deep within me for spending any time on pleasure or beauty.  KAS

Forever Now

This is a good place to remind myself that the series of nows I'm gathering is worthwhile no matter how the gremlin voices shout otherwise.  Who decides?  I decide! 

Love The Questions

The "not-knowing" times...awaiting lab results, election results, trial verdicts, grades on tests, to see if the seeds germinate, is it a boy or a girl, what college will accept my application; these times can be all-consuming or they can become a practice in concentrating on what is rather than what is not or what will be.  Living in the present.  Appreciating what is here and now in this moment. Learning to love the questions? Being at ease with not knowing?  Not for the faint-hearted. 

Your Tiny Spark

Start close in.  Then keep going.  Return when needed to your starting point.  I'm sharing David Whyte's poem which I find myself returning to in times of confusion and upset and questioning.  It is my "go to" place in times of struggle. 

START CLOSE IN
Start close in,
don’t take
the second step
or the third,
start with the first
thing
close in,
the step
you don’t want to take.
Start with
the ground
you know,
the pale ground
beneath your feet,
your own
way to begin
the conversation.
Start with your own
question,
give up on other
people’s questions,
don’t let them
smother something
simple.
To hear
another’s voice,
follow
your own voice,
wait until
that voice
becomes an
intimate
private ear
that can
really listen
to another.
Start right now
take a small step
you can call your own
don’t follow
someone else’s
heroics, be humble
and focused,
start close in,
don’t mistake
that other
for your own.
Start close in,
don’t take
the second step
or the third,
start with the first
thing
close in,
the step
you don’t want to take.
START CLOSE IN
in River Flow
New & Selected Poems
Many Rivers Press © David Whyte

The Power of Language and Experience

Even though this is not exactly in keeping with the goal of focusing on the positive, it is focusing on taking action to change things.  In light of this, (Putting a fool in his place--) I sent this letter off this morning.

Senators,  I'm pleading with you.  We need you to defend our democracy. This president is not acting in alignment with all this country stands for and I am begging you and your colleagues to stand up against his treacherous tactics.  He's gained the support of voters with fear and hatred and lies.  You know this is true. I want to believe you are decent human beings with morals and even though I don't always agree with you on policy matters, I want to have faith in your integrity and in your humanity.  Please, Please, PLEASE do something.  Revoking the press pass of a journalist for asking questions is WRONG.  Forcing Jeff Sessions out as Attorney General is WRONG.  (These are just two current examples.) This is the United States of America, not some Banana Republic.  You must do your job and stop this assault on freedom and democracy.

Comeback Always Stronger Than the Setback

Focusing on what is good and right and decent and just even though I'm astonished at the absence of a tsunami in that direction. 

Being At Ease With Not Knowing

This is going to be a long day.  Imagine the world you want.  See it in your thoughts and dreams.  Barbara Streisand's new album is a comforting accompaniment for the current state of things.  I am remembering Truth Endures and Love is more powerful than Fear.  Onward!

Astonish a Mean World with Kindness

I’m sure he had no idea I was Jewish. Why thank a Jewish nurse, when 15 minutes beforehand, you’d shoot me in the head with no remorse? I didn’t say a word to him about my religion. I chose not to say anything to him the entire time. I wanted him to feel compassion. I chose to show him empathy. I felt that the best way to honor his victims was for a Jew to prove him wrong. Besides, if he finds out I’m Jewish, does it really matter? The better question is, what does it mean to you? 

Love. That’s why I did it. Love as an action is more powerful than words, and love in the face of evil gives others hope. It demonstrates humanity. It reaffirms why we’re all here. The meaning of life is to give meaning to life, and love is the ultimate force that connects all living beings. I could care less what Robert Bowers thinks, but you, the person reading this, love is the only message I wish to instill in you. If my actions mean anything, love means everything. 

Respectfully,

Ari Mahler, RN.

A Light from the Shadows Shall Spring

No matter what, we will not give up on who we are--welcoming the stranger, dignity of all human beings, equality under the law, respect for dissent.

Work on things slowly

Oh, to develop this kind of patient persistence. 

I'm Possible

And I’m enough, just as I am. Being me is the key to perfection. 

Be Your Beautiful Self

The definition of perfection.