I won’t mince words, Donald Trump won by appealing to fear and anger, and that doesn’t bode well for our path forward. I just returned from the NEMA museum conference, where we watched the election unfold in shock and disbelief. A friend reported someone felt this negated her life’s work in the museum field.

But if anything, it’s a call to burn more brightly, connect more with each other and community and make our practice both deeper and wider. In my Shintaido practice with wooden sword, I’ve been focusing on the theme of “cutting and blessing,” doing this outside among the changing leaves. It’s a way of taking care of myself. And I’ve been thinking of teaching a workshop on caring for friends as well through simple partner exercises.

This quote from author/activist Parker J. Palmer popped up in Facebook a couple days ago:

The heart’s alchemy can turn suffering into community,
conflict into the energy of creativity,
and tension into an opening toward the common good.

I’m not there yet, but at least can take care, for myself and friends…