But at a personal level there’s so much we can do. Love our families and friends, meet our neighbors, help out in our communities when we can. Spend time out in the world where people interact face to face!
There are rich people, corporations and politicians all over the world that seem hellbent on making our world worse, but on a small scale we can make a difference for each other. We can create reasons for each other to feel hopeful.
This is a strange and frightening time, though. We certainly should be worried.
Apr 6, 2025
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Damn. You’re an awesome person!! I love having a person on this app who has the perspective of one from an older(ish) generation. (no offense intended at all) keep being amazing!!!! 🤩
you’re right, sometimes all that matters is what we have around us when we can’t control what’s on a greater level. thank you!!!
Apr 6, 2025
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seconding looking into anarchism and smaller community/forms of government for alternatives of what could be, and socialist history to see the types of great governments the US has squandered intentionally to push the "capitalism is natural" narrative... HOWEVER, these are tools for collective action and dreams to reshape our unfixable broken system. great knowledge but not great for keeping yourself mentally healthy.
stay or get involved if you can with political groups in your area, however I find it beneficial as an american to stop looking at our government as a whole. especially in rural america it gets easier to remember that our local governments, despite being controlled by the big wigs, are more influential to our lives and something we can directly change. we can also touch people close to us, rather than focusing nationwide or globally. in these times it's best to build communities to resist any oppressive change that comes onto us the best we can, sure - but to also cherish the great silver linings we have with each other in the midst of all the chaos.
it's okay to turn off your TV and hang with friends and do/find personal hobbies for a bit. it's okay to also not feel okay with the state of things. it is irredeemably and preventably bad, and it's okay to be mad about the tough times ahead. but it's likely we have a lifetime ahead of us still. so if you're lucky enough to find joy in it, do so like there's no tomorrow - even though I assure you there likely will be.
I wish I could be hopeful too but I think it's a tall order to ask when a lot of preventable problems are being caused and perpetuated on a wide scale. and I do think its a little subjective and based on a gamble of the future. can we have hope if things change radically? for sure, in some ways. can we have hope if things continue without change? not really. not for me or my family, and not for kids growing up now. but even though oppression is barreling down on me and my loved ones personally, I'm taking it as a challenge to be loud and proud and remind everyone they can't pretend I'm not here and human. I hope you feel inspired to do the same.
stay safe friend you are so so important and I mean it!!! if you have access to even one therapy session a month I highly recommend it just to get these worries out.
Apr 6, 2025
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It's easy to watch the bleak horizon, fill your eyes and ears with promises of a grim future, and be fixated on foreboding cultural, social, political likelihoods to the point of being frozen and immobile.
Often—at least this has been the case for me—that fixation on the fear of the future takes me away from possibilities for impact right in front of me. There's need and possibility and hope in my day right now: today I can help one person or do one life-giving deed or affirm kindness in some small way.
One of the 20th century's most impactful warriors against poverty was Mother Teresa. She said: "Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time and always start with the person nearest you."
We (you, me, us) are incredibly powerful.
Don't surrender that power by forsaking the now.
Jan 27, 2025
I’m not gonna lie. Things are bad right now. We’re disconnected from one another and it has fostered a hyper-individualism that borders on solipsism.
Ignorance, greed, and aggression are in good supply but they are also not new. There have always been people who’ve caused harm, but don’t let those people be the only ones who capture your attention and imagination.
There are people taking action every day in both big and small ways. There are people protesting, and fighting legal battles, and driving people to get safe abortions. And there are people who show tenderness to their children when they received none; people who check in on their elderly neighbor; people who give water, food, or money to an unhoused neighbor in need.
There is kindness all around us and it’s happening all the time. Don’t lose sight of it and, most importantly, don’t lose hope. Another world is possible.
Art via Landon Sheely
Mar 24, 2025
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I’m 50, I say because that makes me unusual in this context. I paid [redacted] for a ticket to the Eras Tour after listening to tswift for 3 weeks, and it was worth it. In second grade my teacher gave kids birthday spankings over her knee, and in sixth grade my teacher told my mom I hadn’t blossomed yet. I’m a good friend, mostly to people on the internet. I’m good at conversing with strangers. I’m usually the oldest person at the show but don’t feel like it. I’m good at being helpful. I’m sarcastic and funny and make myself laugh. I’m a good graphic designer and a conscientious driver. I’m a good photographer and I can successfully follow recipes. I don’t use my Peloton enough. I did a lot of caregiving for my mom for several years, and we enjoyed spending time together even if it was mostly in waiting rooms and my car. The fastest I ever ran a mile was eight minutes and six seconds. I drove the same car for 20 years and then replaced it with another one. I enjoy tipping, giving money to people on the street and Disneyland. I am a fan of baseball, Formula 1 racing and the Criterion Channel. I solve about 80% of New York Times crosswords. I take Prozac and Wellbutrin, and take Trazodone to sleep through the night. I wish I had a glassed in solarium so I could sleep in it on rainy nights. I would like to have a pet cat and a garage. I could happily live eating only cereal and fruit. I overshare on the internet and undershare elsewhere. ✌️💛
Feb 28, 2025