Thank you, Rona. This means so very much. When I was writing this piece (really combining two drafts I'd done for different pieces), I kept thinking, I just don't want to say the same thing everyone's saying and asking myself, But what's truer / also true? But what can you carve away? So, I'm glad this didn't feel repetitive to you.
The only way we’re going to hang on to our democracy is for the ordinary man to do their job competently. You just did; you combined beauty, writing and insight into a piece of truth. Truth is complex, truth is all of it
You wrote, 'What would be different if, for the past 160 years, everyone who’d stood at her feet had celebrated the freedom she was meant to honor?' This is such a powerful question. It makes me wonder how different our society would be if we had been taught to value and celebrate the contributions of all people, rather than just a select few.
The mostly blind albino Great Dane. At first I wondered if the dog and seaside scene was fictional--maybe I leaned in too close to that lit joint but I loved stepping into this story. Your reflections are always immersive, Holly!
No!!!! This to the wasp stings. Yes!!!! This to the owls and lemurs and honestly caves (unless you feel otherwise). Can’t wait to read about it. :) oh and also yes to the old diaries—so much fun.
The dog and the sea and the joint were real. It's at once hard to envision as having been ONLY three years ago and also has it been THREE years? Maybe it's an age (of me) thing, but things seem to be moving and changing rapidly of late. And time feels a little warped. Maybe that sense came into the writing, and you picked up on it.
Hi Holly, yes, we're back. The trip was extreme in every possible way and included 14 wasp stings (for me), crawling around in caves (as an unexpected shortcut), two barn owls and lots of lovely lemurs. They are achingly cute---especially the mouse lemur. I'm often in a time warp/dream land. It probably doesn't help that I've been dipping into archives as of late (including my jungle diary from age 19 and my grade 7 journal which chronicled AND rated every boy I danced with during a lunch hour gymnasium dance. So, I too and always here and there and it's awesome.
Did I comment on your last piece—by the way? I feel like I meant to but didn’t. I found it sooo sooo good. Ya know what? I’m just going to hop over there and say it. ;)
I am also shocked by the story of Lady L - I shouldn't be, I find I've been shocked, and worse, disappointed, so many time in the last 10 years as the illusion of progress has evaporated. And I'm hearing more and more from friends in the States how afraid they are, and I am too, but I'm in Spain and it feels muted. I can only offer love and support.
Here we don't have starlings but swifts, whose murmurations are not coordinated but a chaos of tiny bodies flying in every direction, and that feels somehow more apt for our times. 💜
Yeah, that story blew me away. It's kinda wild how the truth of her purpose has been hidden. I mean, she was given to the US in 1865--at the end of the Civil War and after the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment.
A favorite podcast host of mine was speaking to all the unknowns going forward and to his relative privilege when he said it occurred to him the other day that, no matter how it goes, even if it's not nearly as bad as it might be, it'll still be worse for nearly all of us here in the US (and in other parts of the world effected by US policy and decision making) for the immediate future at least. I'm hoping to be able to offer love and support too.
"A chaos of tiny bodies flying in every direction." Sounds about right.
Thank you, my friend, for reading and commenting and for being you. ♥️
Beautiful. It is so amazing how much of our own history is hidden from us, just that fact alone makes it seem that any change in this country's racism and sexism is still out of reach.
You said, right at the end, that you didn’t know what to send this week. And I think what you sent was fantastic Holly. It speaks to the many paradoxes and contradictions and nuances you’re struggling with. And it points to nature with the implicit question (I think) “isn’t there a simpler way?”
I really appreciate that you shared this piece in all its ‘torn-ness’ :)
Soooo many paradoxes and contradictions and nuances. And yeah, I for sure wish there was a simpler way. A way where we all found belonging and safety. A way without the wild inequity in the distribution of resources and the wild distortions of the truths of history and present that make us all a little out of our minds.
Thank you, Michael. I appreciate so very much that you see the torn-ness I intended to convey. ♥️
Oh, Holly...I'm so tired. Even without CT scans and the uncertainty of what will come of all the poking and prodding. Bless you for writing from your heart, for attending to the very important work of seeing, listening, and trying to hold space for all kinds of people and all manner of opinion. Every time I see another writer or poet (and there have been so very many of late) affirming my heels-dug-in belief that we are moving together, despite what we are told about one another, I get teary-eyed. "Don’t we have to at least believe it’s possible?"
I remember learning, recently, that the term murmuration is only applied to starlings, though other species clearly move in similar synchronicity. There are places, including here, where starlings are thought of as a nuisance, because of the mess they leave behind. And still, when they are in motion, we can't take our eyes off of them. So yes -- there is a lot of cleanup needed. But that doesn't mean the dance isn't beautiful.
Yeah, I've heard "murmuration" is reserved for starlings. But I chose to ignore that for this post (like the probably not right definition of it being the sound of a million wings flapping. ;) Poetic license? Ha.
I love this idea of marrying the cleanup and the dance. The complexity of our existence requires both.
I do believe we have to make space for each other. But I'm tired, as you say. And I am very much worried about the way these election results give a very clear nod to too many people's crueler natures. I guess that's back to the cleanup piece?
Anywho, thank you, Elizabeth, for reading and commenting. I always so very much appreciate your thoughtful engagement.
It's impossible to know what to write this week, I agree. You did an awesome job showing up with this piece. I don't know how the big world works, I don't think any of us regular folks have a clue, but I do believe that proximity to misinformation is the biggest driver in all the horrible things. It seems this has been the case through all of history, it's only become faster and more intense in our lifetimes.
Tying this in with the movements of birds and fish is brilliant!
How can I be shocked (I mean how can anyone be shocked after this week?!) about the Statue of Liberty and her chains (damn them) or the gaping space between the average income in that county, and everywhere. There are no words.
I really do think we "move" in similar ways--watching our closest neighbors, keeping in step with them. But like all things, it has two sides, both beautiful and terrible. It means we connect with, support, and buoy each other. But it can make us ignore and even join in cruelty.
The Statue of Liberty chains is, in a way, shocking. I mean, I think most of us were taught to believe France gifted us Lady Liberty to celebrate our freedom from Britain. But no. It was to celebrate our freedom from the shameful practice of enslavement and, moreover, to celebrate the freedom of those who had been enslaved. The date alone, 1865, should give us a clue. I really wish more people knew this story. I really wish she'd been built as intended, with the broken chains in her hand.
Thank you, thank you, Donna, for reading and commenting.
Thanks for teaching me about the broken chains at the feet of the Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World. I like how you intersperse observations of birds with reflections about people stuff. Gives the reading some welcome space/built in reflection time.
In the onslaught of repetitive punditry, your words carve put a haven of beauty, compassion and hope. I’m so glad you showed up this morning.
Thank you, Rona. This means so very much. When I was writing this piece (really combining two drafts I'd done for different pieces), I kept thinking, I just don't want to say the same thing everyone's saying and asking myself, But what's truer / also true? But what can you carve away? So, I'm glad this didn't feel repetitive to you.
The perfect start to my day! Thank you:)
Gah. I’m so glad to hear this. Thank you, Neil.
Thank you for showing up x
Ditto! I much appreciate you, Jan!
Beautiful writing, Holly. "Archipelago of agree and disagree" is wonderful.
I really liked it when it landed too. Thank you, Jeffrey.
I couldn’t write for a week after the election. And now my two pieces since won’t shut up about it.
Thanks for showing up. This was beautiful.
I know. It’s hard to write, think, concentrate on anything else, right?
Thank you! I appreciate you much.
The only way we’re going to hang on to our democracy is for the ordinary man to do their job competently. You just did; you combined beauty, writing and insight into a piece of truth. Truth is complex, truth is all of it
Thank you, Dami! This means a lot. To truth in all its complexity.
You wrote, 'What would be different if, for the past 160 years, everyone who’d stood at her feet had celebrated the freedom she was meant to honor?' This is such a powerful question. It makes me wonder how different our society would be if we had been taught to value and celebrate the contributions of all people, rather than just a select few.
The mostly blind albino Great Dane. At first I wondered if the dog and seaside scene was fictional--maybe I leaned in too close to that lit joint but I loved stepping into this story. Your reflections are always immersive, Holly!
No!!!! This to the wasp stings. Yes!!!! This to the owls and lemurs and honestly caves (unless you feel otherwise). Can’t wait to read about it. :) oh and also yes to the old diaries—so much fun.
Hey Holly---you can check out the barn owls here: https://julestorti.substack.com/p/field-notes-from-madagascar and the spelunking footage here: https://julestorti.substack.com/p/dont-be-fat-dont-be-tall During the pandemic I transferred my dorky 10-year-old diary to the laptop as the pencil penmanship was fading with time. I self-published it for posterity and had a riot re-reading my mindset in those days!
Thanks, Jules!
The dog and the sea and the joint were real. It's at once hard to envision as having been ONLY three years ago and also has it been THREE years? Maybe it's an age (of me) thing, but things seem to be moving and changing rapidly of late. And time feels a little warped. Maybe that sense came into the writing, and you picked up on it.
Also, are you back?! How was your trip?
Hi Holly, yes, we're back. The trip was extreme in every possible way and included 14 wasp stings (for me), crawling around in caves (as an unexpected shortcut), two barn owls and lots of lovely lemurs. They are achingly cute---especially the mouse lemur. I'm often in a time warp/dream land. It probably doesn't help that I've been dipping into archives as of late (including my jungle diary from age 19 and my grade 7 journal which chronicled AND rated every boy I danced with during a lunch hour gymnasium dance. So, I too and always here and there and it's awesome.
Thank you for showing up anyway ❤️
Thank you. I very much appreciate you, Marc.
Absolutely stunning.
Gah! Thank you, Noha. That means so very much.
Did I comment on your last piece—by the way? I feel like I meant to but didn’t. I found it sooo sooo good. Ya know what? I’m just going to hop over there and say it. ;)
I am also shocked by the story of Lady L - I shouldn't be, I find I've been shocked, and worse, disappointed, so many time in the last 10 years as the illusion of progress has evaporated. And I'm hearing more and more from friends in the States how afraid they are, and I am too, but I'm in Spain and it feels muted. I can only offer love and support.
Here we don't have starlings but swifts, whose murmurations are not coordinated but a chaos of tiny bodies flying in every direction, and that feels somehow more apt for our times. 💜
Yeah, that story blew me away. It's kinda wild how the truth of her purpose has been hidden. I mean, she was given to the US in 1865--at the end of the Civil War and after the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment.
A favorite podcast host of mine was speaking to all the unknowns going forward and to his relative privilege when he said it occurred to him the other day that, no matter how it goes, even if it's not nearly as bad as it might be, it'll still be worse for nearly all of us here in the US (and in other parts of the world effected by US policy and decision making) for the immediate future at least. I'm hoping to be able to offer love and support too.
"A chaos of tiny bodies flying in every direction." Sounds about right.
Thank you, my friend, for reading and commenting and for being you. ♥️
Beautiful. It is so amazing how much of our own history is hidden from us, just that fact alone makes it seem that any change in this country's racism and sexism is still out of reach.
Yeah. I so agree. It's really hard to move away from something you refuse to look at.
May more and more light be shone on what's hidden.
Thanks, Deirdre. I appreciate you much. ♥️
You said, right at the end, that you didn’t know what to send this week. And I think what you sent was fantastic Holly. It speaks to the many paradoxes and contradictions and nuances you’re struggling with. And it points to nature with the implicit question (I think) “isn’t there a simpler way?”
I really appreciate that you shared this piece in all its ‘torn-ness’ :)
Soooo many paradoxes and contradictions and nuances. And yeah, I for sure wish there was a simpler way. A way where we all found belonging and safety. A way without the wild inequity in the distribution of resources and the wild distortions of the truths of history and present that make us all a little out of our minds.
Thank you, Michael. I appreciate so very much that you see the torn-ness I intended to convey. ♥️
Oh, Holly...I'm so tired. Even without CT scans and the uncertainty of what will come of all the poking and prodding. Bless you for writing from your heart, for attending to the very important work of seeing, listening, and trying to hold space for all kinds of people and all manner of opinion. Every time I see another writer or poet (and there have been so very many of late) affirming my heels-dug-in belief that we are moving together, despite what we are told about one another, I get teary-eyed. "Don’t we have to at least believe it’s possible?"
I remember learning, recently, that the term murmuration is only applied to starlings, though other species clearly move in similar synchronicity. There are places, including here, where starlings are thought of as a nuisance, because of the mess they leave behind. And still, when they are in motion, we can't take our eyes off of them. So yes -- there is a lot of cleanup needed. But that doesn't mean the dance isn't beautiful.
Yeah, I've heard "murmuration" is reserved for starlings. But I chose to ignore that for this post (like the probably not right definition of it being the sound of a million wings flapping. ;) Poetic license? Ha.
I love this idea of marrying the cleanup and the dance. The complexity of our existence requires both.
I do believe we have to make space for each other. But I'm tired, as you say. And I am very much worried about the way these election results give a very clear nod to too many people's crueler natures. I guess that's back to the cleanup piece?
Anywho, thank you, Elizabeth, for reading and commenting. I always so very much appreciate your thoughtful engagement.
The feeling is mutual.
It's impossible to know what to write this week, I agree. You did an awesome job showing up with this piece. I don't know how the big world works, I don't think any of us regular folks have a clue, but I do believe that proximity to misinformation is the biggest driver in all the horrible things. It seems this has been the case through all of history, it's only become faster and more intense in our lifetimes.
Tying this in with the movements of birds and fish is brilliant!
How can I be shocked (I mean how can anyone be shocked after this week?!) about the Statue of Liberty and her chains (damn them) or the gaping space between the average income in that county, and everywhere. There are no words.
I really do think we "move" in similar ways--watching our closest neighbors, keeping in step with them. But like all things, it has two sides, both beautiful and terrible. It means we connect with, support, and buoy each other. But it can make us ignore and even join in cruelty.
The Statue of Liberty chains is, in a way, shocking. I mean, I think most of us were taught to believe France gifted us Lady Liberty to celebrate our freedom from Britain. But no. It was to celebrate our freedom from the shameful practice of enslavement and, moreover, to celebrate the freedom of those who had been enslaved. The date alone, 1865, should give us a clue. I really wish more people knew this story. I really wish she'd been built as intended, with the broken chains in her hand.
Thank you, thank you, Donna, for reading and commenting.
Ah yes, the beautiful and the cruelty of human connection.
Thanks for teaching me about the broken chains at the feet of the Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World. I like how you intersperse observations of birds with reflections about people stuff. Gives the reading some welcome space/built in reflection time.
Thank you, Erik. We do need some space right about now, don't we?
Yeah, I was really glad to learn about the chains and the intended purpose of the Statue of Liberty myself.
Thank you so very much for reading and commenting.