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“In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you.” ~ Deepak Chopra
“In any given moment, public opinion is a chaos of superstition, misinformation and prejudice.” ~ Gore Vidal
Yesterday, as I write this, Barry and I had lunch with our friend Dave Dahl. Dave has been my friend and was my co-teacher at the college since 2017. When he was talking with students in our acting class about their scenes he would always say, “Where is the love in your scene?” He told me he got that quote from a fellow theatre professional friend of his. He loved it so much he started using it when he was directing and teaching. I too love that question so I started asking it of myself in all kinds of situations, not just in the stories I consume. And since chaos is still reigning at the moment, I’ve been asking myself where is the love in the news, Facebook posts, YouTube videos and the like? If there’s no love in the posts, I ignore them.
I almost posted a quote above that we can’t grow unless there is chaos. Some wise spiritual teachers say that humans need contrast to decide who they want to be, or what life path they are going to take. I agree. I don’t know about you, but I don’t learn as much or even very quickly when things are going great. Which means, I, and everyone else, has the opportunity right now to learn a lot.
The elections are coming up soon. When I look at the candidates to decide who I’m going to vote for, I ask myself, does their platform contain love for their constituents or not? If not, I’m not voting for them. Now is a particularly important time to choose love over hate.
Lot’s of people are afraid that our Democracy is going to be wiped out if the Ultra-conservatives take over the government. And caution is a good thing. The Project 2025 platform published by the Heritage Foundation is a 900-page plan that would eradicate most of the human rights gains that have been put in place over the last few decades. For a progressive like me, it’s a scary document because the only real winners are white men. Everyone else will suffer in some way. After just hearing some of the items listed in the document I knew it was full of hatred. The people who wrote it want to turn back the clock so white men are in complete charge taking revenge on those they believe have damaged their right to rule.
As a highly sensitive, empathetic person, I feel that humanity is at a crucial point. What would happen if Democracy died? What would it look and feel like? It might be like the society in the Kevin Costner movie, The Postman (1997). Barry and I watched it not too long ago and I was stunned that it depicted just what our country might be like if Democracy died. David Brin, author of the novel, and the film makers were somehow prescient to the events happening today, even though the story takes place in 2013.
In the movie, the United States government has collapsed in a terrible undefined war. It depicts a Post-Apocalyptic America where people eek out a living in small communities that have no electricity or other amenities that we’re used to today. There is no communication with the world outside their little groups. The region is dominated by a narcissistic general who dreams of ruling the entire country. He conscripts white men to fight in his army. Anyone of color can be killed on sight if he so chooses.
In General Bethlehem’s army there are what he calls “The Laws of 8” that the soldiers must follow. If any of the first 7 rules are broken, even accidentally, it means immediate death. Fortunately, Law 8 is “Any member of the clan can challenge for leadership of the clan.” Kevin Costner’s nameless character is someone who tries to fly under the radar, but is discovered and conscripted. But he’s smart and escapes to find his destiny when, to stay warm, he comes across a postal truck and dons the uniform and mail bag from the postal carrier’s skeleton. His plan is to deliver the mail in exchange for food and shelter. However, he soon discovers that communication is a vital key to overthrowing the tyrant, General Bethlehem. I can tell you, I would not like to live in the situation the movie depicts. Fortunately it has a hopeful ending.
Unfortunately, most critics panned the movie when it came out in 1997. I wonder what they would write about it now if they watched it again. I found it to have a profound message for today.
So, which of the local and national candidates have a platform of love? I don’t want to tell you who to vote for, but go look up their records, and platforms. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that Biden as President and as senator before that, has done so much to improve the country by helping the economy recover, boosting access to heath care, advancing women’s rights and gender equality. He’s taken huge steps to address climate change, promoted peace and security, not just of the United States, but of the world. He is dedicated to protecting children, while at the same time reforming policing and the justice system. He’s stopped the erosion of our rights by stopping far right judges who wanted to curtail the civil rights we now enjoy. If those aren’t acts of someone who loves this country and the people in it, I don’t know what are. To quote Cat Bohannon, author of Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution, who said on a podcast recently, “Old people know stuff.” President Biden not only knows stuff, he is wise about people and what they need.
That’s my rant for today. I encourage you to do as Deepak Chopra says, take a breath, go inside and find stillness if even for a few moments every day. As you practice being still, you will be able to do it for longer periods of time. Believe me, it makes a huge difference not only for you, but it ripples out to those around you and beyond. And that, in my opinion, is how we create a loving world.
Thanks so much for reading, liking and commenting. Let’s spread as much love as we can.
Blessings,
Lucinda Sage-Midgorden © 2024
The Space Between Time
Lucinda is the author of The Space Between Time, an award finalist in the “Fiction: Fantasy” category of the 2017 Best Book Awards.
Have you ever experienced life shattering events? Yeah, after the last few years, most of us have. In The Space Between Time, Jenna Holden gets slammed by her fiancé walking out, her mother’s untimely death, and losing her job all in one week. But she receives unexpected help when she finds her three-times great-grandmother’s journals and begins the adventure of a lifetime.
The Space Between Time is available in all ebook formats at Smashwords and for Kindle at Amazon, or you can find the ebook at iBooks or Barnes and Noble. If you prefer a physical copy, you can find a print-on-demand version at Amazon. Stay tuned for news when the audiobook version and sequel are published.
Lucinda is also the host of Story-Power a podcast where she and her guests discuss their creative endeavors, and/or the stories that have changed their lives. It’s available here on Sage Woman Chronicles and on Apple, Google, and Spotify podcast apps. Please rate and leave a review. It helps people find me.
Rita Gau’s review: Recently, I finished reading a book titled, The Space Between Time, by my friend, Lucinda Sage-Midgorden. It was the best book I’ve read in a long time. It kept me captivated, which I have not experienced from any other book for the past couple of years. I loved all the little gems of meaningful and what I call spiritual statements throughout the book. You know, those words that make you pause and think, and sometimes have an “aha” from or a deeper awareness about something. And it was entertaining and informational about some of the history in the 1800’s and yet, contemporary. It also reminded me of the importance of “living in community” and how important it is to help one another and be engaged in your community. Thank you Lucinda for a wonderful, entertaining and captivating book!
Story-Power on Patreon and Apple Subscriptions
I’m so passionate about stories that I created the Story-Power podcast, Patreon Community, and Apple subscription so I’d have an excuse to talk story with other story lovers. Patreon is $5 a month for content not found on the Story-Power podcast, or on my Sage Woman Blog. The Apple subscription is $3 a month, again with content not found on the Story-Power podcast. If you’re passionate about stories, and want to talk about what you’ve learned from your favorites, come join me at patreon.com/StoryPower. Or, you can add the subscription on Apple podcast where Story-Power is published. Let’s share what we’ve learned from the stories we love.
PodMatch for Podcasters
If you are a podcaster, or have a message or fantastic product you want to share with the world, I encourage you to check out PodMatch. I call them a dating service for podcasters. Use the affiliate link and tell them, Lucinda sent you. Then contact me so we can set up a Story-Power chat.
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