From Sam
I imagine a world where for myself and so many others simply existing is not an act of rebellion. A society where the power of diverse peoples is felt as well as celebrated. A culture that focuses on strengthening our communities large and small. We are each powerful agents of change and therefore of transformation too.
Getting to be unplugged for 11 days with my partner and love in nature was transformative for me. I deeply appreciate the land of the Anishinaabe people that nurtured us. Additionally, thank you for the thoughtful and poignant book birthday/care package, Alex. Everyone should read Emergent Strategy by Adrienne Marie Brown right now for the place we’re at currently and the future we want. Black is the Body by Emily Bernard and Notes from a Young Black Chef by Kwame Onwuachi with Joshua David Stein were also both incredible and I highly recommend them. I have a lot more reading to do. Below is an except from Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower that was a theme in being an emergent strategist:
“all that you touch
you change
all that you change
changes you”
No one person has all the answers and that’s for the best! We need our connections to succeed together including our relationships with ourselves, other people, and nature. This collective success requires a continued and embodied commitment from each of us. That means being the justice, kindness, and change you want to see in the world and constantly seeking to expand and learn. Intentional openness is difficult, yet coming to this work authentically with genuine practice immediately makes an inclusive future more possible because internal choices build with others in constructing our liberation. Our future starts now.
Listen.
Embrace.
Transform.
Repeat.
Onward with our (r)evolution.
Stars (from my late night nature musings)
Falling into the ocean above me.
To be afforded the opportunity to travel through the ripples of time by sharing in the light of these far off entities. The present view a reflection of the past.
Constant change.
Expanding far further than the blip of humans and even nature herself. Being held by the awesome arms of the Milky Way. Spirals here, there, and everywhere.
Eddies.
Galaxies.
Irimi.
Shells.
Resting in this beautifully impossible cradle. Feeling utterly insignificant while also a part of the whole interconnected balance of the universe. I choose to find hope. What light can we share in for tomorrow?
Lastly, I’m sad but not surprised that I need to say this upon my return to the “civilized” world: arrest Breonna Taylor’s murderers.
Sam. Thank you for sharing this with us. Sky woke me at 4am. He’s sleeping now but I’m still awake. Looking for something to hold now and carry into the future. Thank you for offering this light.
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