Thank you for this piece. I am a mother of three 30 somethings and 3 young grandchildren. As sad and disheartening these times are for us Boomers, I think it is far worse for Millenials who have yet to raise their children in a very depressing world. They, like us, remember the simpler times of their youth. Unlike us who have already raised our children into adulthood, they now face this challenge in a far more complicated world where, I believe, their freedoms will have to be fought for - not from the foreign boogeymen, but from our very own leaders in the Western world.
Excellent! You've captured the mood incredibly well. I love the "honesty = courage" part.
What confuses me about our time is our evident willingness to believe things we are told when those things defy conventional wisdom, as well as what we see out our own windows. All of us know there are facts. Two plus two equals four. But so many of us are unwilling to accept that there may be "unknowable truths", which doesn't mean that facts don't exist. The setting of your parable is perfect for that message. I explored it somewhat more clumsily in the attached piece. Thanks for writing.
You've nicely encapsulated the descent to madness in my lifetime in our public discourse. Nowadays I search for vetted sources of information, carefully review the references and attestations, feel exhausted by the constant need to defend the idea that there IS a concept called truth. I don't know if there are enough years left for me to witness a swing of the pendulum back towards sanity. So, sometimes I write, just to hear the sound of my own lonely voice. Thanks for sharing yours!
Please start writing again, Kristin. The flow of your words is powerful and necessary. Think Orwell. The level of gaslighting that is going on makes me fear a coming explosion.
Thank you for the brilliant gem of wisdom you shared today with your readers. It is thought provoking and supportive in the challenging and frightening times we wake-up to each day.
I just adore this piece. . It echoes so many of my own feelings- kudos, again, to Kristin.
Nice to have a fellow echo-er, dear Ginny. Happy in your fine company
Bravo! A true pleasure to read "real writing ". Please find the time to write more articles.
Thanks Lana. Kind words, indeed!
A meta exploration of how we learn, and unlearn, to interpret the world (and fun to read too!)
Beautiful piece of writing. Pitch perfect bedtime story for our time.
A excellent metaphor for our times!
Wonderful piece! I so enjoyed reading it. Thank you.
Thank you for this piece. I am a mother of three 30 somethings and 3 young grandchildren. As sad and disheartening these times are for us Boomers, I think it is far worse for Millenials who have yet to raise their children in a very depressing world. They, like us, remember the simpler times of their youth. Unlike us who have already raised our children into adulthood, they now face this challenge in a far more complicated world where, I believe, their freedoms will have to be fought for - not from the foreign boogeymen, but from our very own leaders in the Western world.
You’ve captured our collective angst so well, Sherry. Merci!
Excellent! You've captured the mood incredibly well. I love the "honesty = courage" part.
What confuses me about our time is our evident willingness to believe things we are told when those things defy conventional wisdom, as well as what we see out our own windows. All of us know there are facts. Two plus two equals four. But so many of us are unwilling to accept that there may be "unknowable truths", which doesn't mean that facts don't exist. The setting of your parable is perfect for that message. I explored it somewhat more clumsily in the attached piece. Thanks for writing.
https://joelelorentzen.substack.com/p/faith-by-default?utm_source=profile&utm_medium=reader2
Love your truck driver anecdote I’ll remember that. Thank you.
You've nicely encapsulated the descent to madness in my lifetime in our public discourse. Nowadays I search for vetted sources of information, carefully review the references and attestations, feel exhausted by the constant need to defend the idea that there IS a concept called truth. I don't know if there are enough years left for me to witness a swing of the pendulum back towards sanity. So, sometimes I write, just to hear the sound of my own lonely voice. Thanks for sharing yours!
Madness. Badness. It gobsmacks me so often how common human decency can trump them both. Zero pun intended.
Please start writing again, Kristin. The flow of your words is powerful and necessary. Think Orwell. The level of gaslighting that is going on makes me fear a coming explosion.
Orwell and Huxley got it right. Perhaps we need to use our fear to create bridges. Just wish I knew how. Ideas?
Your idea is counterintuitive...but then in times like these that may be the ticket. My fear is your fear.
Congratulations on having written this excellent article. Let more words fall out, please.
"When the truth is found to be lies and all the joy within you dies."
Jefferson Airplane's 'Somebody to Love" (1967)
Consider these opening lyrics to one of rock's greatest songs a guide for the perplexed in the 21st century.
This quote is so perfectly apt and tragic at the same time. Thank you Dorothy.
Plus Gracie Slick is an icon.
Life. Beautifully written.
Thank you for the brilliant gem of wisdom you shared today with your readers. It is thought provoking and supportive in the challenging and frightening times we wake-up to each day.
As usual beautifully written.
Hi dear Marie Helene. It’s been too long. Thank you for your kind words. You are one of the people who taught me that words are important.
Yup.
“I simply considered it beneath my dignity to fall to the level of my colleagues’ cowardice…”
Well written and touchingly true.