It’s been getting harder to decide what to write about lately. On one hand, I try to keep these posts hopeful and encouraging. On the other hand, the world as we’ve known it is being dismantled at a dizzying pace. Every day, institutions that we’ve relied on as bedrock are crumbling. Donald Trump has the charisma of a cult leader, and, with the help of so many others, is quickly turning this country from a democracy to a dictatorship.
I struggle with whether to write about what is going on or not. I don’t want this column to be political, but these times are not normal! We are in the middle of a hurricane, with the ground being pulled out from under us. We may not feel it quite yet, but our neighbors do, and we all will soon. As prices go up due to tariffs, as tanks roll into our cities, as colleges fire their faculty and close departments, as our libraries have fewer books, as our local NPR stations disappear, as the stories of our history are rewritten, as the new treatments for cancer and Alzheimer’s disease stop rolling out, as more people die from being unvaccinated….
I’m so worried. And I assume that you are, too.
I remain dedicated to keeping this as a space where they can’t steal our joy. But it also feels wrong not to acknowledge that all of this is going on.
This week, on the 20th anniversary of a real hurricane – Hurricane Katrina – I share with you a story about phenomenal resilience. Many musicians lost their homes in that disaster, and couldn’t afford to come back to the city they loved. In response, Branford Marsalis and Harry Connick, Jr., both New Orleans natives, teamed up with Habitat for Humanity to create affordable homes that musicians could own – Musicians’ Village.
Let’s continue to remember that the world is still a beautiful place, that most people are kind, and that we all need each other to get through.
I welcome your input! Please feel free to send me a video or photo about the community and resilience. I might just share it. Thank you!