Learning to live from the inside out is one of the strange outcomes of isolation brought on by efforts to prevent Covid-19’s spread. And that turns out to be a good thing.
When it became clear that the pandemic would last until this spring, I launched an online dreaming and artful play group as a means of supporting one another through this difficult period. Our first artful play was the creation of a self-box collage, being attentive to what we show on the outside and what is less obvious on the inside. Photos shared here are mostly what's on the inside.
Have you heard of ‘the Fauci effect’? Medical schools across the country report a 30% increase in applications. Apparently, people who might have been distracted by materialism’s bogus promises have instead listened to their hearts and decided they want to help others. I hope that means that we will be able to provide better health care for everyone - regardless of location, income or ethnicity.
It turns out civics is a state of mind and Georgians like their renewed sense of empowerment. Since electing Biden-Harris (according to three separate ballot counts), voters are now super engaged in a special run-off election for their two federal senators.
During an Atlanta rally for Democrats Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock the energy of engagement was palpable – from the virtual singing of Georgia On My Mind by Broadway performers to organizer Stacey Abrams, to Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, to Jon and Raphael, to a young Latina student who voted for the first time on November 3, and highlighted by President-elect Joe Biden.
This past week was a windfall for Mother Earth with Biden's nominations of New Mexico Representative Deb Haaland as Secretary of Interior, North Carolina environment secretary Michael Regan to head up the Environmental Protection Agency, and former South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg for Secretary of Transportation.
Long ignored, Native Americans like Haaland have been steadfast in protecting our natural resources. Regan has already made history in North Carolina with his forward looking envionmental decisions. One of the biggest things on Buttigieg's plate will be construction of hundreds of charging stations across America to service our transition from fossil-fuel-burning vehicles to electric ones. It’s a big step toward reducing carbon emissions but it also represents a popular will to live by our values rather than immediate gratification.
With the upcoming Solstice on December 21, here in North America we celebrate that which, hidden from view, is already preparing to be born anew. The bounty of summer and autumn has been harvested giving the appearance of an earth at rest. But under the ground roots are gathering energy for a burst of new life in the spring. To celebrate the solstice is to honor what’s on the inside rather than mourn what appears to be missing.
I predict 2021 will be a wondrous year of multiple ‘inside out’ transformations for you, me, and everyone with an open heart and curious mind.
