“Don’t come in here spreading your mess.”
When I was a kid I’d sometimes go to my friends’ houses after school or basketball practice. Every single one of my friends’ mothers — working class, single, married, Asian, Latino, Black. Jewish, didn’t matter — did two things:
Offered to feed me
Told me I better not mess up the floor / house / kitchen they just cleaned
I understood. It wasn’t just the practicality of not wanting to clean twice. It was about respect. They took care of business, and the entry price of welcome was you do likewise.
This is where I get off the “good people on both sides” and “let’s pretend that we’re having a political election for president” bus.
This last week Donald Trump came to California — my house — and repeated his threat to withhold federal emergency wildfire aid if Governor Newsom (blah blah blah)…
A presidential candidate threatening to withhold emergency funding for disaster relief? A week after two “once in a lifetime” hurricanes devastated Florida? And he lied about federal response there too.
The worst part is actually not the man himself or even the messes he makes. His presence is a symptom of something deeper. Mexican farmers welcomed him to the Coachella Valley. What do they care about if they don’t care about honesty? What do they care about if they don’t care about self-respect? Can you really buy a person’s dignity and our environment’s future for a few feet of water and a few thousand dollars?
This weekend I watched the play Hamilton. I reflected on the fact that America’s entire philosophy of governance began with a spirited debate about doing things differently. Doing things better. Until the GOP does one of those things, we don’t have a choice. I just voted for Harris.
What are you doing about the election? Drop me a line and tell me about it. I’m curious.
Curiosity is worth practicing. That’s how we get better at it. When it’s done particularly well, curiosity can be elevated to an art form. Curiosity makes life worth living. I am literally Curious AF. And now you can be too! Click HERE to unlock your free membership subscription.
Here is a taste of what I’m reading, watching, and thinking about.
What I’m watching –
I mentioned Hamilton because I took my wife to see the show live at the Pantages Theater in Los Angeles for her birthday. We had only seen the video — being “in the room where it happens” was a totally different experience.
It was the final show of the production and the house was packed. The actors were visibly and audibly emotional toward the end. During intermission we got to know the people who sat next to us.
Whether we agree or disagree, whether we’re the same or different, we share energy when we share space. In Open-Source Learning terms, we’re building our civic fitness.
What I’m Reading (Aloud) –
No justice. No Justine, anyway. Don't miss this episode of Frankenstein on LIT AF.
What I’m Listening to –
The waves crashing on the beach at night in Santa Monica. It’s comforting: whatever else is going on in the world, the ocean is still oceaning.
Quote I’m pondering —
It’s not tyranny we desire; it’s a just, limited federal government.
– Alexander Hamilton
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David Preston
Educator & Author
Latest book: ACADEMY OF ONE
Header image: The White House via Wikimedia Commons
