NOTE: An opposition in public discourse occurs when opinions on a given matter appear sharply polarized. E.g., global warming is a problem: there’s no global warming. From one view, opposition makes for intractability. From another it makes for opportunity. Listening and speaking across difference – the willingness and skill for that – makes the difference. A few trending Oppositions in admitted editorial rendering (i.e., I like all of us am biased by… Read More
Here are some things I have come to know: The land of the United States remains vast and more beautiful than any imagining. The people of the United States remain more capable of wisdom, kindness and cooperation than our media and leadership lead us to believe. GPS systems can get you almost anywhere – sometimes by incessant nagging, sometime with astonishing grace. I hear there may be an annoyingly breathy replacement coming… Read More
The people I’ve talked with in Texas this week say two things. My friend Cindy, a white business woman in Grayson County sums up one of those things. “The divisions in this state are so strong, I don’t think we’ll ever be able to talk to each other. It just starts out hateful with neither side willing to back down.” As she talks, she describes how community proceeds in spite of the… Read More
Yesterday, well south of the GOP caucus hubbub, I had one of those two-hour conversations you want to remember for the rest of your days. Not so much the words, although the stories were as precious as sunshine…really, but the feeling of it. Sara Bernice Moseley has been an inspiration to countless women and men across the 94 and ½ years of her life. She is and always has been grace in… Read More
It looked like a done deal to lots of folks who are paid to make authoritative calls on such things. Chances were slim, they said a week ago, that Gingrich, Perry or Santorum could stage a comeback in the South Carolina primary that took place last Saturday. It’s heard of, but none of those campaigns appeared anywhere near as strong as Romney’s given the current playing field with its corporations=people, money=free speech rulebook. Enter… Read More
Back in October I got a call from Dave Jarecki. He had been assigned to me by the Lewis & Clark College Chronicle — the alumni magazine of the college where I’ve been a professor for well more than 20 years. I was happy to know my school was pleased with the publication of 100 VOICES – AMERICANS TALK ABOUT CHANGE and wanted to have an article following its release. Dave and I… Read More
Listen to the voices of your neighbors. One hundred voices from across the U.S. All talking about change. All speaking their dreams. Give the book to yourself, to friends or family. Join us in the EX:Change as it continues to offer its invitation to all of us — Listen to each other. See what is there in those with whom you think you have nothing in common. See what is there in… Read More
Down the street @ Bloke http://blokepdx.com/, Justin-the-botanical-artist is well beyond priming – that happened back in October [EX:C blog, “Bloke – AKA, Barber Babes Redux,” 10-29-2011]. Now, since a few weeks before Thanksgiving, Bloke is hitting its prime for the cold weather Holiday season – the festivities that cry for decorative plants and flowers between Halloween and New Year’s Day. Every time I see him these days, Justin is a little breathless, but… Read More
A few weeks ago, I wrote about the idea of having guest bloggers write to the original three questions of EX:Change and the 100 Voices. (EX:C blog, “These Questions Belong to You Now,” 10-22-2011) When you say the word change what do you mean? Alongside change, what is important to have remain the same? What would be concrete signs that positive change was occurring? Then I got email from Marsha Cuyjet – voice #48…. Read More
Halloween. Perfect. A day when we let ourselves be a bit less in denial of the fact things both are and aren’t as they appear. Change is change is change. This is the storefront I wrote about in May. My new friend Justin is the botanical artist who recently took over the space 6 months after the Barber Babes had to call it quits. Over the past few years Justin has followed… Read More
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