Heather Cox Richardson

In Person: Heather Cox Richardson

/ nagneberg48 / 5 Comments

March 12, 2024

My morning meditation time includes not only reflecting on a selection from a spiritual text, writing in my journal, and lifting the prayers of my heart, but I also read Heather Cox Richardson’s daily newsletter, Letters from an American, which has over 1.4m subscribers. https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com Richardson is a Professor of History at Boston College and an expert on American political and economic history, and each day she manages to bring clarity to the chaos of the day’s news, adding the perspective of history into what swirls around us.

Heather Cox Richardson is a valuable and insightful and hopeful voice, and Sunday she spoke to an overflow crowd at House of Hope Presbyterian Church in St Paul, MN. Such a privilege to see and hear her.

I urge you, if you have not already done so, to subscribe to her newsletter. She also has a new book, New York Times bestseller Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America. Nope, I haven’t read it yet, but I own it, and I will read it, for sure.

In Person Energy

Sitting in her presence with all the others who made the decision to spend their Sunday afternoon in this way, I thought about the gifts of physically sharing space with others and how different that is from sitting in the snug reading a book or at my desk reading newsletters on my phone or laptop. How different sharing the same space with a speaker is from listening to a podcast or radio interview while I fix dinner. Now don’t get me wrong–I am so grateful for all those ways I can access news, ideas, and events, but being there strengthens commitment, builds energy, and reinforces beliefs and intentions.

Even though I know, as I listen to, watch, or read something meaningful or interesting in the comfort of my home, I am expanding my awareness, sharing that experience with others is a different, more personal, more dynamic experience. How good it is to be with others who are eager to hear more, learn more, and who may support a certain perspective.

An example: I am a big Barbara Brown Taylor fan. I own and have read most of her books, and whenever a new one is published by her I rush to buy it. That is true about Anne Lamott and Elizabeth Gilbert, for example, as well. But after attending in person events in which these women were the speakers, even though I was one of hundreds in attendance, I have a kind of relationship with each of them. I saw them pause and smile and take a sip of water and adjust their glasses or the hair that fell into their eyes and shift the papers of their prepared talk. I sensed them listen, really listen, as an audience member asked a question. They are now no longer only words on a page or a voice in a studio. They are individuals. They are women who decided what to wear that morning and have long “to do” lists, which may include grocery shopping or taking the car in for an oil change. And yes, they are brilliant and wise and often funny and charming, but they are also real. Real.

I realize that as I age I am not as likely to make the effort to attend these kinds of events. I think more about the logistics and the energy such attendance takes. Instead of going to a book signing or talk by someone who interests me at a local independent bookstore, I am more apt to decide in favor of staying home and reading. I am not going to beat myself up here, for sometimes that is the right choice. But sometimes I am drawn to be present.

Choosing to be Present

I also think about other ways and time we can be present and the benefits of doing that. I choose to attend Sunday worship. I choose to sit at tables with others during our adult forums between services. I choose to lead a weekly writing group, which includes time to meditate and write together, even though I write and meditate by myself at home.

Something different happens when we are sharing each other’s energy. Something different is felt when we share a space. Something different is created when we intentionally gather.

Now I realize that the day may come, more than likely will come, that my ability to physically be present will be limited, but that time is not yet.

For now I benefit from the coming together, and my sense is that each of us present benefit from the collective presence.

An Invitation

When have you experienced recently the value of being present? I would love to know.

Intention for 2024: Responding to “What Can I Do?”

/ nagneberg48 / 6 Comments

January 16, 2024

More than likely, when you gather with friends or family, politics is part of the conversation. Our fears. maybe our hopes, but more than ever, our fears. Many in my circle go through periods of abstinence from the news or at least limiting time spent reading, watching, listening to commentary about recent polls, speeches, or outrageous statements made by he “who shall not be named.”

Wait a minute, he needs to be named. Loud and clear. Our fear is that Trump will be elected again. Our fear is for the survival of democracy.

This is not time for abstinence, but it is a time to be smart about what we ingest into our hearts and minds. And it is a time TO DO.

I am writing this post the day of the Iowa cacuses. I started my day, as I generally do, in the snug, reading my daily devotions, writing in my journal, meditating and praying. I have listened to NPR while getting dressed and scrolled through my inbox, which includes articles from the Washington Post and the New York Times, along with daily newsletters from Robert Hubbell, Heather Cox Richardson, and Jessica Craven, whose opinions, expertise, and knowledge I so respect. Now here I am at my desk, planning to carry on with my regularly scheduled activities.

However, this is not a time to carry on as if nothing is happening or as if “all be well.” Sorry, Julian of Norwich. Not only is today Iowa caucus day, but it is also Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. This is a time To Do.

In a recent post (January 2, 2024) in Jessica Craven’s Chop Wood, Carry Water blog, she posted her resolutions for 2024. They include:

  • I will do everything that I am able to do to help save democracy.
  • I will spread good news relentlessly.
  • I will ask everyone I talk to if they are registered to vote, and help them register, if they aren’t.
  • I will repeat the words “A vote for a third-party candidate is a vote for Trump” everywhere I can, as loudly as I can, as often as I can.
  • I will ignore polls.
  • I will stay in the day and do what I can.

I will do what I can. That means different things for different people, but for me that means participating in letter writing and postcard campaigns. Jessica Craven’s newsletter is an excellent resource for learning about those opportunities.

This weekend I spent a couple hours preparing letters and addressing envelopes to send to 50 parents of voting-age teenagers in Arizona who may not yet be registered. I copied the basic letter and added my handwritten note, following the directions. I supplied the envelopes and postage and the time. Not a big deal from my end of things, but a potential big deal when it comes to getting out the vote. (A project of The Civics Center, https://www.thecivicscenter.org/blog/tag/Arizona)

My intention is to participate in similar campaigns. This is something I can do. And I bet you can, too. Perhaps you can participate in phonebanks or can contribute money to key campaigns, too. Do what you can.

Robert Hubbell in his January 3, 2024 post responds to a reader who says “reasonable” Republicans (or independents) can support Trump. His words reinforced for me the need “to do.”

Supporting Trump means supporting someone who attempted a coup, incited an insurrection, denied women their reproductive liberty, instituted a policy of state-sanctioned discrimination against Muslims, promised to use the presidency for political ‘retribution,’ has been found by a federal judge to have committed rape, bragged about grabbing women by the genitals, mocked a reporter with a disability, threatened to pull out of NATO, retained national security documents after he left office, associates with white supremacists–and more…

It is time to declare where we stand-for or against democracy. There is no room for hesitation, doubt, false equivalencies, whataboutism, lack of enthusiasm, disagreement, disappointment, anger, or wishful thinking. And once we declare where we stand, our task is clear. We must work tirelessly to elect Joe Biden.

I must work to elect Joe Biden, and I hope you will, too.

Three Trustworthy and Helpful Resources

Jessica Cravens, Chop Wood, Carry Water https://chopwoodcarrywaterdailyactions.substack.com

Robert Hubbell’s Today’s Edi https://roberthubbell.substack.com

Heather Cox Richardson’s Letters from An American https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com

Prayerful Words

I am grateful to Steve Garnaas-Holmes for these words of inspiration.

May my love be a guiding star for others. 
May my words and deeds show forth
the reign of your mercy and justice.
With humility and generosity
may I offer the gifts you have given me.
The treasure chest of my soul I open
to you and the world.
    http://unfolding light.net

An Invitation

It is good to stay informed. It is good to lift our fears and concerns up in prayer and to pray for those who are actively engaged in saving democracy, but it is good and necessary “to do.” What will you do? I would love to know.