Today my neighbor Darren brought over flowers.  Darren is an art connoisseur and downhill ski enthusiast — passions he finances with his career-long work as a rebar guy.  He’s the man who goes in when sky scrapers or strip malls are only twinkles in architects’ eyes to put in the steel bar that holds up the whole edifice — you know, the kind that looks like licorice strands but weighs like plutonium.  Darren works hard.  Today he and his wife Laurie were having their annual yard sale.  “We’re getting really good at this,” he said when I strolled past coming home from the grocery store.  We chatted a bit, bantering as I crossed the street and went up my back steps.  I’d just started making dinner when there was a knock on the front door.  It was Darren holding these flowers.  “They’re beautiful,” I said.  “They’re yours now,” he said.  “You know flowers, they’re always saying, ‘Never give up.”

Well. I haven’t.  I haven’t given up on lots of stuff — like the goodness of everyday people — the kindness of neighbors, the capacity we have for listening to each other.

Things are getting pretty dicey in the run up to the election.  The media pundits, candidates, and other darlings of spin are dominating the airwaves while leaves turn and yard sales, hikes and community gatherings like the Greek Festival a few blocks from my house fill the weekends.  We’re out here.  We’re worth listening to, and it’s really time for us to take ourselves seriously as a force for democracy.  The start is with listening to each other.  But I always say that.

Check out this preview for the 100 VOICES podcasts due out October 17.
http://soundcloud.com/pagatim/preview-100-voices-podcast
See for yourself if you think listening is the way to go.

And let me know what you think —