Fall is in the air. Today's Northeast winds, blowing straight into our house from the Lake, has us slamming windows shut after we opened them--for the last time?--this last balmy week. A change is in the air; many people view it with dread. "We'll soon be inside for six months," a friend recently moaned.
Fall is delightful though, and part of the delight is the grand shifting of weather patterns. It can be tumultuous--heat and humidity, thunderstorms, balmy summer, crisp colors, wind, rain, and snow--because it's bringing in something really different.
We need something really different, don't we? In my daily life, I feel lucky. Health, relationships, and finances are stable. But it's impossible to completely ignore the pervading anger, fear, rancor and anxiety that find their way into my mailbox, inbox, and conversations.
We can blame COVID, or our elected officials, or the media, or the weather--but all these things are on the outside. We are actually in charge of our own mental states. Where do our thoughts rest? Where do we put our mental energy? We make choices every day, often unintentionally or automatically, that will influence how we view all these external tensions cascading down on us.
And here is the real purpose of these ramblings....Two people, distraught by the fragmentation of their own community in the aftermath of the 2016 election, planned a workshop that can only be described as courageous, then or now. They brought together people from both sides of the political spectrum to spend a weekend together. Their goals was not changed minds but opened hearts. It was the beginning of the "Braver Angels," and if you are interested in finding a new path through this election season, I urge you to investigate.
So far I have joined an action group, participated in a workshop, and signed a pledge. Every day, my outlook benefits from my involvement. Inspired by a wide and heartfelt appeal from President Lincoln after the Civil War, here is the "Malice Towards None" pledge “Regardless of how the election turns out, I will not hold hate, disdain, or ridicule for those who voted differently from me. Whether I am pleased or upset about the outcome, I will seek to understand the concerns and aspirations of those who voted differently and will look for opportunities to work with people with whom I disagree.”
Several friends have mentioned to me their desire to move to another country in the event of a certain election outcome. While I sympathize with the feeling of despair, I cannot endorse action that, while bringing a type of relief to those who take it, denies them the privilege and gift we all have of being a part of this place and this time, and denies us their hard work in bettering it. After watching the Broadway "Hamilton" three times (offered to the general public through Disneyplus) I see the value in owning our heritage--good and bad--as well as owning today's moment. Only those who own it, and invest in it, can move it forward in a good way.
No matter how the election turns out, the work is still ahead of us. What that will look like is unknown, but we know that it will be work! Take the pledge, investigate the Braver Angels, and roll up your sleeves. When we signed on to this game of life, no one promised ease.