Life + Culture

You Wanna See Hamilton, But Don’t Vote?

by 2 Comments

House_Democrats_Sit-in

If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything. I wasn’t the first to say it, but I believe it.

And standing for something is what many of our Democratic Representatives are doing with support from some Democratic Senators too. In solidarity they are standing up for the victims of gun violence and for those of us left with lives to lose.

When I heard that civil rights icon John Lewis was leading the call with a sit-in, I was enthralled. Still am. It couldn’t have been written any better. How cinematic and extraordinary.

Many of us have been complaining about our representatives lack of action when it comes to gun violence. Rise up! They have!

As I write this, they have been holding the floor of the people’s house for nearly 24 hours. We are witnesses to history. Isn’t it fitting that at the same time, Alexander Hamilton the musical is making history too? I’m listening to the cast recording as I write this. Not many of us can get enough of it. It’s engaging and addictive.

Tickets to the show in Chicago have been reported to be selling for as much as $10,000.00. With low voter participation being such a problem in this country, I wonder what percentage of people who attend the show actually vote. Is the show about a Founding Father completely lost on most?

The best way for us to get our shot is to vote and get involved with politics on some level. Are we part of the solution?

We have so many levels of problems in this country. If we all tackle something, I truly believe that we can make a huge difference. We the people. Three little words. The start of one of the most beautiful documents ever. It’s us.

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. ~ Preamble to the United States Constitution

When they wrote “our Posterity”, they were thinking about us. Now. But it’s up to us to do something. Life is an experiment. This country is an experiment. All we can do is try to think about the kind of world and country that we want to live in. Insure domestic tranquility.

Is what is happening now the American Dream? I don’t think so. Republicans are content to have us gunned down walking home. Gunned down in a theater. Gunned down in church. Gunned down in school. Gunned down anywhere. They think it’s okay.

We can’t pursue Happiness when we are in fear for our lives. It seems the only lives the Republicans have concern for are unborn. After that, we’re on our own.

We have to do better. We can do better. It’s time. I’m a Sanders supporter, but you better believe I will still vote. I’m not giving away my shot. Neither should you. History has its eyes on you.

+ + +
Screenshot: Los Angeles Times

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Summer Solstice Strawberry Moon

by

moon rising in the sky

If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I love taking pictures of the tops of trees touching the sky.  Especially at dusk as the moon rises. It might be my favorite time of day. Maybe because I was born at night.

This past week I watched the moon becoming more full and tonight it’s the full strawberry moon.

It’s also summer solstice. The longest day of the year and the first day of summer! The first time that the two have coincided since 1967, the Summer of Love. Back then it was a time filled with chaos and change.

Based on the horrific and tragic event last week at Pulse and the looming Democratic and Republican conventions, it looks like we might be in for another long hot summer. I hope that as a nation we can do better than 1967 — heal and move towards light and love.

Save

Quiet Audacity: A Conversation with Eileen Fisher & Susan Cain

by

Quiet_Audacity_Eileen_Fisher_Susan_Cain

For people who are most beloved by the masses, one of the things that people most often say about them after they die is that they were always themselves. They were authentic.

Somehow during their lifetime, they found the courage to be true to themselves and showed it to the world. However, like most things in life, it’s easier said than done.

After the Memorial Service for Muhammad Ali yesterday, many of us have had the chance to reflect on his life. The choices that he made and what we most respect about those choices. He risked and lost everything in order to be true to his beliefs. He had moral integrity.

As we reflect on our own lives, it’s easier for some of us to take a stand in public than others. For those who are naturally extroverted, it may not be quite as difficult.  For the introverts among us, myself included, it’s a bigger stretch to speak out in public. Many of us are natural writers and work well behind the scenes.

I just watched a video showing a conversation about introversion between Eileen Fisher, famous clothes designer, and Susan Cain, who started a Quiet Revolution and has made it her life mission to show the value of introverts. One of her most recent projects is Quiet Schools Network, so that introverted students are not overlooked in school.

This video is inspiring to watch. It’s a bit long, just over an hour. But it’s well worth the time. I had not known much about Eileen Fisher, except for her beautiful clothes that I wish I could afford.

After watching, I learned that even though she built her widely successful business from the ground up, she was painfully shy and introverted. Which is probably why most of us have not known much about the woman behind the brand. She did not want a public life.

With Fisher’s recently launched Learning Lab, she is pushing her boundaries and working on this new project that means so much to her. It’s very much in the beginning phases, so she is bringing us along on the journey to see what it will become.

The actual lab is located in an historic building overlooking the Hudson River. She has events and workshops that you can attend in person, then she makes them available online for us to watch for free.

I love the idea of this experiment, because that’s all that life really is. We’re all just trying to figure it out and experiment with what could be.

So that we all can try to live a life as well-lived, remembered and cherished as Muhammad Ali.

+ + +
Screenshot: Eileen Fisher Learning Lab

*Updated 3/4/2023* Unfortunately the video is no longer available and there were several broken links that were removed from this post.

Save

Save

Save