Category: Dignity

It’s Never Too Late to Walk Barefoot

In my sixth decade, foot pain was getting my attention and I realized wearing (any and all) shoes had taken a toll. Hesitant at first, I decided to go barefoot as often as possible. There was a need to let my feet touch the earth again. Now in my seventh decade, I’m certain that this choice among others saved my gait. 

It’s never too late to heal. It’s never too late to turn the tide on bad choices or imposed circumstances. And while healing may not be curing, it’s empowering and freeing in its own right.

We are massively in need of healing these days. The imposed circumstances of our lives have made us complicit in self-destruction – much like wearing the wrong shoes. But here is the good news, you can stop; you can change. You can heal.

I’m reminded of an aunt who spent her young years in the garden. She was an awesome cook and she advanced her education as much as she was able. I owe my love of reading and inquisitiveness to her coaching. But as the years advanced, she spiraled into bitterness and eventual depression. It was hard to witness this suffering. At her end, when I visited her in a nursing home, a nun who cared for her told me she always prayed for peace. This came as a bit of a surprise because years earlier she had mocked my pursuit of peace, yet, now she was asking for that simplicity for herself. It’s our birth right, this quest for peace. It is a natural outpouring of the deepest part of our nature, whenever it surfaces.

And who is to say when it’s too late to ask? Time is not the ruler of our hearts; it’s merely a mile marker. We can all live lifetimes in moments – both joyous and painful; and the memories are ours to keep.  

At this time of great uncertainty, seek the certainty that exists within the silent moments. There is a cry from the heart for peace. Let it unfold for you as it has for those before you. We honor those who lived with dignity. Let us emulate them. It’s never too late.

Dolly(s) of the World Unite

We lost a great example of what humanity could be this week with the passing of Dolly Parton. There are many new and old stories being told about her kindness, her fierce independence, her brilliant wit, her love of life, and of her fellow human beings and her God, but that is not my focus here. Those tellings will live on as her legend continues to grow and touch people, as it surely will.

What I want to highlight is the significance of the outpouring of love and appreciation that is being offered in her name. What I want us to consider is how the Goodness of one human being has had the capacity to touch so many of us. And most importantly how this moment of recognition can create a wave of kindness among us. The greatest reciprocity that we could offer this magnificent, bright light of a human being is to walk our own path as she did. To be valiant in the face of hardship, to be resilient before those who would diminish us and to never give up.

The greatest homage we could pay at this time would be to step fully into ourselves as she did. To embrace the gift of life with celebration and joy. If we can unleash the freedom of spirit and the unrelenting care for all people that she demonstrated; it would be the honor deserved.

A gay interviewer once asked Dolly how she felt about drag queens loving and emulating her, in so many words she told him she appreciated them, and then she said, “If I hadn’t been a girl, I would have been a drag queen.” There is an abundance of freedom in that. There is unbridled love.

Compassion was her constant companion. That compassion exists in all of us. It was not unique to her. She embodied it; she owned it. And so can we. Dolly(s) of the world arise. You are needed.  

Forget-Me-Nots

Go Deeper

As an “endless” war carries on; a genocide continues without consequence; as we grapple with the inhumanity of ICE; and too many are going hungry or without adequate care, hopelessness and fear are palpable. But we cannot let them win. There are attributes to be cultivated, things we have not tried, that could help us. First, we must confront two realities: one is our history of violence and oppression, the other is our compliance with it. 

This confrontation of our history requires us to go deeper. Our “exceptionalism”has been built on indigenous conquest and slavery. Our refusal to demand equity and human dignity is telling. We are tied to systems which do not serve all of us. In fact very few are served and the trends towards de-humanization are escalating, not abetting. By recognizing our complicity to oppressive systems, we can extract ourselves from them and bring them to their rightful end. This takes courage and clarity and heaps of determination because at every turn we’re reminded that our compliance is needed to maintain the status quo. Then I ask myself, “What exactly am I agreeing to and participating in?”

And when I stop, when I listen to the simple cries of my heart, this is when I come back to being human. We have the opportunity to choose compliance with our humanity, nothing else. As people line up behind candidates and parties looking to belong, seeking solutions and comfort in ideas that have never served us; we can choose the belonging and comfort of being human. We can let that be our starting point. Life gets much simpler. We are built for this.

The beauty of living here in the Driftless is a gift. The day to day activities have challenges and rewards. Gratitude is a welcomed companion; it helps relieve the weariness of a world gone mad. Maintaining a practice of benevolence towards oneself and others is not a weakness; it is our super power.

It is a choice to live with dignity. In that choice there is little left to debate. One people, one planet, one love; and one effort to leave this beautiful earth better than we found it. That belonging is possible. We just need to go a bit deeper.

Take time for yourself. Take time to discover the best in us… This is a free ten week zoom, please register in advance.

EVH PEP March 2026.Download

Empowering Hope to Action – Wisconsin Rising

Politics has not held much weight with me. The game has always seemed too rigged, but something is definitely stirring that may prove to be enough to welcome a new day. The discourse is changing. People across the nation are feeling empowered to hope again.

It is time to remember the old childhood song, “Sticks and stones can break my bones, but names will never hurt”. The insults and lies are flying. We have met the supreme insulter in chief and his vitriol has emboldened far too many. But we are taking back our courage and dignity as human beings, and it shows.

We are standing empowered to demand what we want and need. And if you have a mind to vote, make sure you are certain of what and who you are giving your permission toward. Maybe this time we will demand the empowerment of everyone. The bots and AI commercials can’t rock you when you are committed to humanity.

Here are two podcasts from Changing the Narrative. The first is with Francesca Hong. the second with Emily Berge. I give time for people to express their humanity and invite them to express why they are engaged so passionately in whatever they do. These two people are unstoppable and regardless of the outcome in the Aug 11 primary, or the Nov 3 midterm, they will have made their mark on our culture and our politics. And it is good.

Please listen and share.

A Force For Good. Francesca Hong is running as an unapologetic Democratic Socialist on the Democratic ticket to be the next governor of Wisconsin. “We Make Better Possible, ” is proving to be a welcoming, big tent idea.

A Human Being Who Happens To Be a Politician Emily Berge is running to unseat Derrick Van Orden in the Third Congressional District challenging the notion that Washington insiders should pick the Democratic Candidate and has insisted on having a primary for the 3rd allowing local voters to decide.

Never Pass On A Chance To Be Human

Hummingbirds buzz me daily now. I have come to realize they are letting me know it’s time to refill their feeders. The old sheep can’t quite make it to the orchard, but they wait eagerly for the little green apples trees are letting go. Chicks follow me, expecting treats and their insistence is charming. The young saplings look weary from the heat and I feel their relief when I get to them with water. These are tiny acts of love and kindness that fill my cup and keep me human. In a world that challenges compassion and ridicules empathy, it is delicious to discover that our humanity has not been erased.

There is an opportunity that waits for us every day and really every moment, if we have the eyes for it. It’s the chance to be human. I’ve come to acknowledge that being human is not automatic. It requires something more than merely being alive. It is a conscious choice and a practice. 

I have found that I am most weary, not from the labors of my day, but of the missed opportunities to share my humanity and to delight in another’s. 

The shocking and horrid death of Corey Ruiz at the hands of the state brought new challenges. Accusations that this violence was inevitable and deserved played heavily and heartlessly. It was salt in our woundedness as human beings. It takes a tremendous effort to overcome the depth of sorrow that we feel and to seek the clarity needed for this moment.

And what is this needed clarity? It is the ability to walk in pain, sorrow and anger and not be swallowed by the abyss of hatred. It is the courage to find within us the determination to rise again. It is the choice to be human.

There is an outpouring of love and concern for the family and the community in Madison at this time of grief. The vigil continues there and the demands remain. From Wisconsin Bailout the People Movement.

This is Echo Valley Hope’s Board Statement:

Echo Valley Hope Board’s response to the killing of Corey Ruiz by Madison police on July 22. Echo Valley Hope will continue to support efforts to eradicate racism and violence in the systems that were created for our protection. The execution of Corey Ruiz, a Black man, by Madison police and witnessed by bystanders demands our united voices for change. We support voices demanding the abolishment of deadly force. We demand an independent investigation into this murder. We will continue to work to restore human dignity. Racism and violence must be abolished from our systems. No more excuses

For more statements from member groups of WNPJ on the killing of Corey Ruiz, visit the Facebook page.

Juneteenth

Let’s celebrate that which is worthy of celebration!

Some things never took on me. As a teen I had a fierce reaction against the Vietnam war when most people were blindly in support, before the narratives changed and the body count rose. I remember at even younger years, I was not willing to mistreat or even speak poorly of children less advantaged. And I never understood the disregard and dehumanization of Black children who I counted as friends. I hated the stigmas on diversity or anything that smacked of difference issued by “God fearing, church goers”. Their hypocrisy was repugnant to me. It chased me from religion, but not from my Creator. 

A favored aunt tried to help me “see the plight of white people”, offering books that spoke of being outnumbered and more. I felt sorry for her. I didn’t realize at the time she was unwittingly warning me of what was yet to come. That those Sunday worshiping, people of God were about to unleash hatred so vile as to make me want to withdraw from society as a whole.

But that’s not my fate. I choose instead to champion the truly Good in all of us. And however desperate the times appear; I’m committed to fulfilling my life’s purpose: to be fully human, fully alive. I’ve lived a life of questioning and choosing. And my choices, while not easily executed, have allowed a love of humanity and of the earth that I cherish.

Baraboo, Wiscsonsin will be celebrating Juneteenth for the third year. It’s a community refusing to surrender to the racism that has haunted it. Haunted all of us. I’ll be there again. This is what we need. To celebrate our stories of victory, to revel in the colors of the rainbow and to delight in our diversity which is our strength.

It’s time for the silent to waken. The line is drawn. We are either human or we are not. There is no other choice. Time to dance.

Abolish ICE. End racism. Choose humanity. Celebrate Juneteenth.

250 Years

And we are still here…

As the swirl of BS continues and it seems harder to find hints of humanity, compassion and kindness, remember this: The United States was born as a republic led by an aristocracy of white men. Yet the Declaration of Independence offered some of the highest human ideals ever written: All men are created equal and the right to the pursuit of happiness – unless of course you were Indigenous, a Slave, or a Woman. For these lofty ideals to become true for all required that equality, equity and the pursuit of justice would become a relentless effort. Two hundred and fifty years of blood, sweat and tears from some of the most courageous and passionate people brought us tremendous victories.

This struggle made by (primarily) marginalized Peoples must be the pride of this nation, not its castaways. And while the arrogant attempt to erase our history and whitewash our struggles, it’s incumbent upon us to celebrate the 250 years of valiant courage and unbridled wisdom of those who resisted injustice.

The stories of persistent valor that are handed down, whether written or verbal, in song or in art, must be held as sacred and continue to be shared. Teach our children the legacy of which they can be proud. Remind them that our Native siblings are still here despite attempted genocide. Remind them of the resiliency of all who were brought here against their will to be enslaved. Help them understand that socialism, feared by the elites, gave us fire departments, the post office, public schools, unions, better working conditions and so much more. 

Let’s stop wasting time on the small minded, the greedy and the power hungry.  They have risen from time to time, but have never triumphed. We know their history intimately. We carry the scars. It is time to uplift and honor those who never allowed ignorance to win. However daunting the challenge, we cannot sacrifice the gains that humanity has made. We must persevere.

Let’s come together to celebrate the true victors. The ones who never surrendered their love or their humanity. Let’s begin again. And all that is now being done to destroy human dignity can be undone. Do not despair. We will rise stronger; our light will be brighter.

And let us acknowledge that this country was and remains imperfect, and rather, see it as a work of art, perhaps never to be finished but always available for our love and corrections. We are living in a time of correction. Your voice and your clarity are needed.

Find one another. Humanity is calling.

Fragility

Fragility is not always a weakness. It can be the direct result of living in an insane world.

Today began with another reminder of how fragile we are. The call came early; the voice was shaky and broken. I sat down. Another youth made the ultimate sacrifice. Another life lost in the crush of a society that refuses to walk away from inhumanity and senseless hatred. We’re living in a death wish that pretends to be civilization. And for some, suicide becomes the last resort and a final slap to the world that refuses to listen. 

This upside-down world filled with contradictions and dead ends are too much for many. They are the Ones whose empathy becomes the sword they fall on. The Ones whose question “Why?” is screamed into an abyss. The Ones we say “were not meant for this world”, instead of saying “we must repair the garden we have destroyed”. We carry on. We say prayers, raise money to cover burials and refuse to look deeper. Those closest to the departed will feel the sting of shame and the torment of guilt, but that should not be their burden, as we all have a hand in this human spider web. 

In a land where guns outnumber humans and children are taught their lives are political fodder, how could we expect anything else?

In a country steeped in empty faith with compromises and contradictions so great a camel could pass through the eye of that needle. We missed the boat of humanity. We prefer lies and excuses. We prefer beliefs of Santa Claus and heaven. We want sugar coated exceptionalism to reign. And the ugly truth is something we refuse to handle. Fear is and has always been the driver of this country, but today it’s on steroids.

But not for all of us. It has never been all of us. Some of us have always known better. And perhaps it is time for the fearless to lead.

For those unafraid of facing truth, let us recognize one another with dignity and compassion. Let us help one another. Love and peace are not only possible; they are our birthright. It requires a deeper dive and a willingness to accept and celebrate the incredible gift that is life. Help one another. We can do this.

LGBTQ+ Rights and Our Duty to Protect-2Download

Take a Dive in the Deeper End

If your media intake is limited to FOX, MSN, CNN and the like, you’re being lulled into aggression or passivity. Facts in these arenas are designed to distract and divide. I want to direct you to your humanity.

In my seventh decade, I’m still learning about the exploitations and manipulations of the United States throughout its history, but better late than never. A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn is a great primer.

If you’re among those holding your breath in hopes that some divine hand will reshape the current course of insanity, I would tell you to stop wasting your time. There’s no hero coming to save the day. The hope is that we, as individuals and collectively, will take the time to learn how we got here and find creative ways to revolutionize our communities, our nation and the world.

If the fire in your belly has been all but extinguished, I would suggest to you to find the fighters among us who have not given up. The clear eyed, passionate truth tellers. The marginalized who are no longer controlled by corporate money and the empire. Free your mind and your heart will thank you.

Because we’re not born to be enslaved. We’re born to enjoy the magnificence of this creation. We’re not born to enslave others or to control their uniqueness in any way. We’re not here to destroy the garden, but to co-create with it.

There are people challenging the status quo of hate and fear. I count myself among them. I seek out their wisdom. Not to follow or mimic, but to fuel my thirst for peace and justice, so I can carry on.

If you haven’t yet discovered Democracy Now, do it. And “Steal This Story, Please!” is an excellent documentary on the disciplined activism of Amy Goodman. 

Lastly, I have come to appreciate the independent journalists and creative minds on Substack. Many have been driven from corporate media of their outspoken criticism of inhumanity and injustice. Danielle Moodie, Wajahat Ali, Joy Reid, Jared Yates Sexton, Katie Phang, Trita Parsi and Alisa Valdes-Rodriquez are a few of my favorites.

Still other are artists and activists seeking community and the chance to be heard. Take time to catch the poetry, photography and heart of Mustava Santiago Ali and Justin Mott. You can find all of these and many more on my profile page at Substack. Discover and share the diversity of thought and will that is our right and our heritage as human beings.

When we know one another, when we see each other’s humanity, we will change course.

May 15 is the International Day of Contentious Objectors. You can listen to my podcast, Changing the Narrative with CO David Kopitske from the Vietnam War which aired on WDRT.

May 15 is also Nakba Day, which began 78 years of ethnic cleansing of Palestinian People. Let us help grow the movement of BDS to stop the genocide. You can learn more at Grow the Movement from Visualize Palestine.

The photo of Slave Narrative books was taken at Whitney Plantation.

To Bear Witness

Sometime during the course of the Wisconsin winter, I decided it was time to visit an old friend and to explore a bit of New Orleans. Amtrack is becoming my favorite mode of travel and it is a straight shot to the Big Easy from the Driftless. Nothing disappointed in the wonderings. Smiling faces, warm greetings, amazing food and vibrant colors told the stories of a city still finding its way after Katrina. The community spirit was deeply touching and the diversities of interwoven cultures and lifestyles were absolutely refreshing.

But it was on this day that the reckonings of the past brought the inhumanity of the present in sharp focus. We made the hour drive to Whitney Plantation. This is not your storybook wedding venue kind of place. This is, as our guide told us, a place to “become comfortable with the uncomfortable”. This is not a glorified walk through Antebellum South, where opulent displays of wealth hid the violent and cruel underbelly of slavery. This was a dignified accounting of the life of the enslaved, much of it told in their own words. And as I found myself drawn into the lives portrayed there, the parallels of modern kidnapping, detention centers and prisons became more relevant. The storylines of racism, sexual abuses, and of separated families, while enslavers continue to amass wealth, are far too familiar.

Yet what was most striking were the people who are keeping the stories alive. The caretakers of this place and of the memories. The ones who honor the names, the tears and the hardships and in doing so they offer us a chance to bear witness.

There is responsibility in witnessing inhumanity, should you accept it. It is to become human and then to find a way to be accountable.

That is our collective path to freedom. 

Photo by Elsa Hahne and found at Media – Whitney Plantation