Thoughts in the quiet of the gathering storm
Now is the time to search your heart and speak your truth.
War has always been two parts dream, one part reality: humans are moved to physical fighting by competing, incompatible ideologies.
The red/blue ideological divide in the US has been intensifying steadily over the past decade, fanned by lies and dogmatic rigidity that built walls between people who ought to share a lot of common ground, if only by literal proximity.
Love thy neighbors, Jesus told his followers. And look what happened to him.
We are in another period where dominant macho aggression is ascendant and welcomed in many people’s psyches—and not only by biological males, as demonstrated by the Barbie women being confirmed to the highest offices in the land.
Hence we have the tech bros storming government offices and commandeering government mainframe computers.
We have naked expressions of belligerence and land-grabbing greed by our orange-hued commander-in-chief.
We have ordinary people being turned against each other through fear and distrust, in the classic divide-and-conquer strategy of fascism and colonialism.
And we have both sides lawyering up and turning courtrooms into battlefields.
I am grateful that we still have some honest federal court judges who are holding the line against the lawless, unconstitutional takeover of the United States of America by hardline ideologically driven white collar criminals.
The sign I carried to last week’s protest said “Lock’em up!” and I meant that—Trump (already a convicted felon) and his cronies are criminals and should be locked up where they cannot do any more damage to our country.
However, I am also aware that by using that phrase I am stooping to their level; the trumpists infamously used that phrase against Hilary Clinton in 2016, who had done nothing near the level of criminality of Musk and his gang of tech-bro thieves, with their enablers in the White House and the Congress.
If I go to another protest I will re-do my sign. But what will I say?
I have been studying the images of last week’s protests, looking at the signs to see which messages resonate with me.
There are the general messages, like “End Fascism” or “Protect Democracy.” One can’t argue with these, but they seem a bit anodyne, not urgent and specific enough for the present state of emergency.
How to sum up in a few words the sharp sense of alarm—the sense that we could be witnessing the death spiral of everything the USA has stood for over the past 250 years?
It appears that the MAGA Republicans—and there are precious few Republicans who do not fall into that category now—are gleefully participating in the transformation of the United States from a participatory democracy to a fascist oligarchy, with the ensuing police state well on its way.
The model seems to be more Chinese than Russian—keep industry humming, but stifle dissent and consolidate power in the hands of a small group of ruling-class men.
Are we going to see a trifecta emerge, with China, Russia and the rebranded fascist America dominating the rest of the world?
It’s clear that we are witnessing a radical transformation of the world order that has held since World War II.
There was a lot wrong with that post-World War II version of the US and global capitalism.
But at least that US paid lip service to civil liberties, human rights, the rule of law, innocent until proven guilty, and even some environmental protection and regulations.
All those niceties are out the window now.
I have to say to those ideologues who were so pure that they refused to vote for Kamala Harris because her policy on Israel was less than perfect—are you happy now?
I have been thinking about the apocalyptic movie WALL-E, in which Earth has become a toxic waste dump tended by robots, and the few remaining humans are in orbit, also being tended by robots, confined to their couches with screens in front of the faces since their limbs have permanently atrophied.
The people who are now proceeding with the takeover of the United States don’t seem to have any fear of such a scenario. After all, Musk has already been preparing to leave planet Earth. He’s going to Mars!
Here’s what I know.
Earth has been around for some 4 billion years, going through cataclysms much worse than the current assault of that invasive species we call homo sapiens.
Earth is going to come through this Anthropocene too, even if it ends in a nuclear war that destroys most life on the planet.
Life will regenerate. Different forms of life will emerge, drawn by the Sun, fed by the water and the air.
Remember that at one time in the planet’s history, oxygen was toxic to those who lived here.
Life adapted.
Life will adapt again.
I also know that we who are here now—we who care about quaint old values like truth, justice and equality; who care about protecting the more vulnerable among us, human and more-than-human alike—we are here now to stand up for our beliefs. To enter vigorously into this strange period of ideological warfare. To put our bodies on the line, if necessary, to try to tip the balance away from catastrophe, to pull America back from the brink of hardline fascism—even when it seems like we have already crossed that red line, and hence resistance has become very dangerous.
Since the beginning of this state of emergency, on January 20, there have been brave individuals and a few staunch media outlets who have spoken out publicly and consistently against the takeover of the country.
More are joining all the time, and national groups such as Third Act, Indivisible, Public Citizen, Democracy Forward and many others are stepping into the leadership breach and rallying citizens to action.
It is a strange situation to be essentially in a state of civil war and yet have so little disruption, so far, on the local level.
My town looks and feels pretty much the same as it did on January 19.
But don’t be fooled.
This is the calm before the storm.
Now is the time to get ready.
Now is the time to search your heart and speak your truth.
With you in body, mind and spirit,
Jennifer
Starting this month!
Come write and speak your truth with me in this powerful four-session Bioneers Learning online class!
In this hands-on class hosted by Bioneers Learning, we’ll look deeply at some of the major social and environmental issues of our time and consider how outstanding leaders have used creative expression to make a difference.
Inspired by these models, you’ll work on expressing your own ideas with confidence, clarity, and eloquence, in both writing and public speaking, coming away with a portfolio of writing, a recorded talk, and a circle of kindred spirits cheering you on.
Four Fridays, Feb. 28 - March 21, 2025, live online from 12 - 1:30 pm with recordings available.
To write and speak our truths, we have to recharge our creative fuel cells, right?
I’m leading three in-person retreats this spring, designed to help you ground, center and reconnect to your own creative spirit.
Read on for details, and come join me!
Meet me in Petaluma, California on March 30 for a daylong writing retreat!
Come on retreat with me and Birth Your Truest Story co-host Audrey Kalman along the Petaluma River in northern California. We'll write, share, grab lunch at a neighborhood cafe, and amble to the river for inspiration. Join us to:
Trace your inspiration back to its source
Follow the twists and turns of your creative flow state
Learn to ride the rapids of your creative life and float gently through the quiet stretches
Write together and share your work
Savor the group energy of our Birth Your Truest Story creative community
March 30, 2025. Early registration ($139) runs through February 28.
Meet me in Rowe, Massachusetts for a weekend retreat in the beautiful month of May!
Come on retreat with me in the budding springtime setting of Rowe, Massachusetts, where we’ll write to explore our deep connections with our Mother Earth, Gaia, as well as how the potent theme of mothering and nurturing has shown up in our lives.
Rowe is a magical retreat center nestled in the northern Berkshire mountains, with trails through mature forests bordering a tranquil lake. It’s rustic in a way that encourages communion with the land and camaraderie with the kindred spirits in our circle.
May 9 - 11, 2025. Sliding scale tuition and a variety of accommodations on site. I can’t wait to share this special experience with you!
Come Riding & Writing in Iceland with me in June!
Riding & Writing in Iceland!
June 2 - 8, 2025
The creative tonic of Iceland has to be experienced to be understood.
Come experience the body, mind and spirit glow that comes from Riding & Writing in good company in a beautiful place, warmly hosted by our friends Gudmar and Christina at Hestaland.
Click here to find out more and see beautiful photos from my past Riding & Writing trips to Iceland.
Friends, it’s my pleasure and my passion to support you as we stretch towards living our lives creatively and to the fullest.
The motto of my author consulting business is “Writing to Right the World,” and the motto of my book publishing business, Green Fire Press, is “Books that Make the World Better.”
If these intentions resonate with you and you are working on a book, or have one in mind, don’t hesitate to get in touch!
Supporting creative people bring their work more strongly out into the world is one way I try to make the world better.
