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Most of my posts are more or less laments about the state of our country, this world, and the painful experience of watching (whatever passes for) western civilization strangle itself in slow motion. This one, however, takes a different arc.
I feel compelled today to share a reminder to find whatever comfort you can in this fleeting life in the care of people who love you.
I found myself ringing in the new year last night with a crew of phenomenally talented artist-athletes raging on a dance floor so maniacally that it left my legs feeling like jelly by the end of the night. We had the chance to see the Funk Hunters [ [link removed] ], a Canadian DJ duo whose beats remixed entire genres as much as individual songs.
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It was by far my favorite show in recent memory, due in retrospect more to the connection among my friends than the music or the party itself.
In moments of disillusion and despair, I often find myself trapped in observing cycles of history rhyme [ [link removed] ] into an indefinite and nightmarish abyss of a future. Evenings like this one remind me of the limitless presents—and presence—from which the future emerges.
Community and connection are priceless. Last night reminded me how they flourish all around us in all directions at all times. It also wrecked my legs, but that was more or less the point so I’m not salty about it.
Celebration in community plays a crucial role in making this life tolerable. It helps me reconnect to joy and feel connected, rather than isolated.
I hope that you’ve had an opportunity this holiday season to find your way to some celebrations of your own.
In the company of loves ones, we can cultivate solace and joy under any circumstances. Beyond our individual selves, those feelings are paving stones we can lay to create pathways to peace and beauty in a world seemingly engineered to destroy them.
My screeds about the threats to the future will no doubt continue, but I feel compelled today to share a reminder to find whatever comfort you can in this fleeting life in the care of people who love you.
There is no greater gift. And in the coming days and years, we will all need as much comfort, care, and community as we can find and create.
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