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Category: thought

Beatrix turns 17 tomorrow. Tonight she’s having 16 of her friends over for a dance party. Last night, I helped her turn our dining room into a Disco. We revved up her playlist and danced together to test it out.

No matter what happens, this is my life. This is what matters.

I can tell you’re from Minnesota if you know the difference between a Corn Dog and a Pronto Pup and have a strong opinion about which is superior (especially if you have a “why” about that opinion).

Despite the fact that because of my diabetes I shouldn’t have them, I’m finding my craving for a big stack of banana pancakes with heavy cream and blueberry compote almost overwhelming.

I’ve reached the stage in my parenting journey with Beatrix where every day she says or does something that fills me with pride.

Today was realizing the major project she’s working on for American History is essentially a treatment for the book I’ve long been meaning to write.

Trust

Some general thoughts on the subject of trust.

Trust is, quite literally, the glue that holds society together. Without trust, every human interaction and relationship is impossible. Every societal framework is built on trust.

Money is built on trust. The trust that one can exchange a token of ascribed value for a good and then turn around and exchange it for some other good of equal value to the holder. Lose trust in any part of such a transaction and money becomes effectively worthless.

This is what we saw in the 2008 global financial crisis. Explained very simply, one very large financial institution lost trust in the value of the holdings of one or more other very large financial institutions and basically said, “I don’t trust the value of what you are using to guarantee your money” The moment that trust was lost, the entire financial system collapsed.

The Great Depression was caused by people losing trust in the stock market, banks, and other financial vehicles.

All war begins when one country/society loses trust in another. The Russians invaded Ukraine because they no longer trusted it would not join a perceived enemy. The Israelis do not trust the Palestinians and vice versa. The early United States 13 colonies lost trust in the government of England.

The rise and fall of the Roman Empire? Et tu Brute?

All of this is to point out that a loss of trust in society — trust in government, trust in institutions, trust in each other — is the cause of a break down and, if left uncorrected, end to that society. Period. There is no “but”. You can not have a society without it. Society rises and falls on the strength of it.

Consider where we are as a nation — a people — today and make of this fact what you will.

I’ve mentioned this before but I’ll say it again as it is on my mind much these days…

I believe that at the heart of human existence is a natural striving to answer these two questions:

Is this all there is?
Is this all I am?

All religion and spiritual faith, even Atheism, is created to seek and/or provide answers to these two questions. Also, to guide the essential guidance needed once the answer is found/provided.

Pondering what a community built intentionally around exploring these questions unattached from specific religion and spiritual faith but open to all ideas and answers might look like.

The problem with common sense is that it isn’t all that common and many people think they have way more sense than they really do.

Coined by my friend Garrick this morning, a concept I plan to try to practice more of this year…

Unreasonable Optimism.

A defense against the reasonable pessimism I, and I’m sure too many others, feel these days. An intentional striving for a change in perspective.