Greetings!
I’m having a hairy canary over here. I wondered if you might be able to help me out.
Generally I am someone who tries to keep it positive. I focus on handy maxims such as feeding the good wolves, counting my blessings etc. I aim to offer ideas, solutions and links to possibilities that could contribute to a better future.
However, lately I feel like I have to do that AND call out the nastiness that’s creeping under the door like a bad smell. And right about now, rather than jamming up the door with wet towels, I think we need to pack up the proverbial house and move to higher ground, and bring a groundswell of people along with us. But to do that we have to notice—also known as “share” and “like” in social media—and internalize what’s happening on this better path. We have to avoid tumbling into the evil ooze, stop retweeting the darkness, as it were. In these algorithmic days, every click sends a signal to the Zeitgeist.
To that end, I crafted an open thank you letter to Xuxa, someone who has contributed a lot of goodness over the years. My letter was inspired by a recent trip to Brazil which broke my heart seeing the political challenges that lie ahead for this great country. The scene there revealed similar political issues—and therefore life issues—as those playing out in other parts of the world, including my current home country of the US but also my home and native Canada, parts of Europe, and, and, and…
Yet there is some incredible, joyful energy to tap, and the artists and communities making this possible should be noticed. Having had a chance to experience that side of the equation the other day in São Paulo, made possible by Xuxa and many more, lifted my heart. That’s what my letter seeks to highlight, while not ignoring the dreadful stuff this goodness counters.
I’ve never referenced fascism in a blog post before. But I get the feeling now isn’t the time to tip-toe around unacceptable behavior. Was this a risk? Am I over-stepping my bounds? Maybe. Or maybe these are the very steps I need to take within the bounds of what makes sense. Please let me know what you think, and if you share this point of view at all, I hope you’ll consider liking and sharing these ideas and more like them.
It’s hard not to feel despair, I’m not going to pretend otherwise. But there is a tremendous amount of good, too. So while calling out what’s not okay (and as much as I am able, seeking to understand it) I’m going to keep liking the good stuff. I hope you will, too.
Yours in connectedness,
Lorraine
