I’ve been thinking a lot about cruelty versus love. What a peaceful life looks like. Whether a peaceful life is a realistic goal in today’s world.
As I’m writing this, I’ve just learned that the Ayatollah Khomeini is probably dead. This morning, I woke to the news that Israel and the U.S. launched an attack on Iran. Meanwhile, just before I sat down to write, I returned home from the Authors for Minnesota Day event at my favorite bookstore to help raise funds to help those affected by the actions of ICE agents here.
Everywhere, there is cruelty. Anger. Greed leading to injustice. And there are people who show up to do good.
We have to tilt the balance whenever we can.
Every post I write for One Minnesota Crone gets harder. This has been the case since around Christmas. It feels like an impossible time to gather my thoughts for writing when action is, perhaps, more important.
This difficulty with writing is tempered by the desire to curl up and read. That’s what I will do between whatever actions there are to be done.
I have a new stack of books, thanks to Minnesota Authors Day: Vacationland by Sarah Stonich, This Thing Called Life by Neal Karlen, A World Appears by Michael Pollan, and A Hymn to Life by Gisèle Pelicot. I don’t know which one to read first, but am leaning toward Pelicot’s book. I want to read about a woman brave enough to let the world know how her husband abused her for years, a woman who declared that keeping these things behind closed doors does not help women.
No abusive behavior should be allowed to stay hidden. Light destroys darkeness – we all know that. And yet here we are, abusive behaviors occurring and/or being protected all over the world, including in our own White House.
When are we going to have enough of a critical mass of people who object to stop the vindictive cruelty within our own government? When are we going to see accountability?
Every time I think we are there, it is proven untrue.
We have to keep showing up. Even if I can’t gather my thoughts enough to write much, I can still go out and gather groceries for the food shelves, donate money that I’m lucky enough to have, support local businesses that have been hit hard by ICE’s presence. I can observe. I can speak up.
I can be a caring human being. Isn’t that what we’re here for?
One Minnesota Crone is going on a little hiatus. I’ll see you again later in the spring or maybe summer. We’ll see what happens.
Be kind, everyone. Do good.
One Minnesota Crone 