Sarah, we recently visited the fantastic caverns near Branson. It was my first time in the ozarks and as a Mexican single and childless woman by choice, I couldn’t help but feel uneasy. Everyone was super friendly but I feared for my safety and it was heartbreaking. Btw. Your audio book version of Last American Roadtrip played from the car as we drove from Chicago to Missouri and back. It was a perfect companion.
Another beautifully woven essay with your trademark insight. Love this one:
"The mafia state doesn’t want us to quit: it wants us to mutate as we navigate the dark. They want us so used to darkness that we lose the ability to see what lies ahead or notice the erasure of the past."
Loved your cave story.Trump is the front man. Shine your brightest cave lantern on his billionaire supporters & their organizations: Thiel & Karp/Palantir, Musk/Starlink & Koch/ALEC. Also, a shout out to visit Election Truth Alliance site data by Mebane on 2024 voting machine anomalies in Pennsylvania & other swing states.
I looked into the 2016 and 2018 MO senate races today to see if they were hacked. They were, based on the red shift from the polls. Jonathan D. Simon has been documenting these democracy destroying red shifts for 20 years.
“The most important thing about the election is not that Trump was proclaimed the winner, but that he was allowed to run.”
I would say that it is also important, perhaps more important, that our past presidents have been allowed to run for a second term. But perhaps much of the public was not aware of what they did during their first term.
Agree and Trump follows a long line of presidents who should have been indicted (Watergate, Iran Contra, a litany of war crimes, etc.) But televised sedition is a new clear low standard. And if they didn’t like that crime, well, he did a thousand more.
Capitalism has been organized crime ruling our society for centuries. We can distinguish between two major types of organized crime: the legal crimes (landlords, armaments manufacturers, fossil fuel companies, etc.) and the illegal crimes (e.g., the mafia). I think that nearly all of our presidents have been engaged in legal crimes. Trump has skirted the border between the legal and illegal, and in that respect Trump is something new.
The juxtaposition of what it is to experience America's wonders and the reality of what America has become touched me, as I sit in Vienna and contemplate the meaning of citizenship and allegiance to bits of land within borders. I'm finding it difficult to let go of the country of my origin and aware that Europe is part of that transnational gang. I'm surrounded by beauty here, the spoils of empire, but console myself that at least there is health care for all, kindergarten from the age of 2, public transportation with elevators, actually affordable housing owned by the city rather than rich developers, and a year's time off for new parents. I suppose at 71 I can justify the benefits of learning a new language, not having to drive, reorienting myself to every aspect of life, and especially not breaking the bank on my tiny flat, which most housing regulations in US cities wouldn't allow to be built. Am I a traitor or just an old woman wanting to be free of a place that was good to me but isn't, never was, what I thought it was. I'm grateful to you for this piece, as it helped me put a little of what I've been feeling into words.
You're not a traitor! You're a person with a life. I don't judge Americans who live abroad; I judge people who gleefully abandon everyone else while doing so or think they're heroes because they fled. Vienna is a wonderful city. It's the first city I visited outside the US. I studied there for my junior year of college and loved it; every day I had a new place to explore. I can't wait for my daughter to see Vienna, because she's a violinist, and that is the best city for classical musicians. I hope she's allowed past border patrol so she can go. Anyway, go get yourself a sachertorte and don't feel bad for enjoying an interesting city. I live in St Louis, the Vienna of the US (I've actually written about this -- it has that same feeling of once having been the centerpiece of an empire, now fallen and full of ruins; I feel that way in Istanbul too.)
No you are a traitor at all, but what you use your "lantern" for remains in your hands. Seek out like minded people, of all countries, and work with them to create and spread goodness in Vienna. I have friends there from UK and Germany and we work together on our joint project and beliefs. You will give power and share the power of your associations - they will lift you when you feel tired and alone. All over the world the darkness is coming - make sure you have plenty of batteries!! :-)
Thanks, Dave. I’ve volunteered during my time here to help refugees improve their English, and I am mentoring young people beyond helping with English. I practice kindness, amplify the voices of activists and others who I feel need to be heard. Also to amplify beautiful and excellent writing and cultural experiences. To never stop learning. And a bad back forces me to rest when I need to and to take things slow. My work is to let go of an identity I once held at a time when people who are dear to me are fighting to be able to be proud of that same identity. I hope that makes sense, and I thank you for the prompt to write this because doing so gave me a bit of clarity. Btw, did you mean to include “not” in your first sentence?
Oh I missed a "not" ... darn it ((.... I write quickly and autocorrect comes for me again and again. I'm sorry. Just because you are not here does not make you a traitor. The darkness is everywhere, from rude, drunken behaviour on an English street, to casual acceptance of rich white American relatives: "we are rich and white and Christian, so we don't care", to ruZZians training the drone operators by bombing children in Kherson playgrounds.... shine your lantern, hold it high and let everyone around you see the person you are!! Bless you.
It's frustrating. Many still treat me horribly for being right too early and for being a woman in a traditionally male field. That Bobbie Gentry article wasn't just about Bobbie Gentry...Thankfully, my readers are great! Also, very good point on the military parade flop being yet another indicator that Americans will not accept a new war!
Totally! I also appreciate you investing in your self care despite the current circumstances. Your travel pictures are very cathartic. We have to savor our joy whenever we can. You’ve done more than enough, and others have to pick up and keep us moving forward.
They reminded me of watching an eighth grade graduation and band performance. Just this "Oh God please stop looking at me and get me the hell out of this middle school" vibe!
Beautiful photography and a spot on analogy. I’m not some people will ever understand what has happened re Trump’s winning elections. I’m still getting yelled at for quoting your predictions, which is morbidly funny because your predictions have been correct.
It is an AMAZING pie. You don’t eat the whole thing. Just a little slice! Which of course is actually a giant slice even when it’s a sliver. But great!
Years ago, my family went to a natural cave that was somewhere near Lake of the Ozarks. I do not remember the name of the cave or the exact location, but I remember the 'feel' of it, the smell of it. Different from caves that are lit up and have stairs with rails, I enjoyed it. Thank you for reminding me.
Sarah, we recently visited the fantastic caverns near Branson. It was my first time in the ozarks and as a Mexican single and childless woman by choice, I couldn’t help but feel uneasy. Everyone was super friendly but I feared for my safety and it was heartbreaking. Btw. Your audio book version of Last American Roadtrip played from the car as we drove from Chicago to Missouri and back. It was a perfect companion.
Thank you and if you’re ever near St Louis and need a cave buddy, look me up! Everyone should feel welcome in a cave.
Sarah, I also had your quotes on my sign (Detroit) along with the book covers. You've been right for a long time. Wish it wasn't so....
I wish I’d been wrong too. Thank you for listening.
Another beautifully woven essay with your trademark insight. Love this one:
"The mafia state doesn’t want us to quit: it wants us to mutate as we navigate the dark. They want us so used to darkness that we lose the ability to see what lies ahead or notice the erasure of the past."
Thanks again!
Thank you!
Loved your cave story.Trump is the front man. Shine your brightest cave lantern on his billionaire supporters & their organizations: Thiel & Karp/Palantir, Musk/Starlink & Koch/ALEC. Also, a shout out to visit Election Truth Alliance site data by Mebane on 2024 voting machine anomalies in Pennsylvania & other swing states.
I looked into the 2016 and 2018 MO senate races today to see if they were hacked. They were, based on the red shift from the polls. Jonathan D. Simon has been documenting these democracy destroying red shifts for 20 years.
Compelling reports from substack Dissent in Bloom site
This is a really solid essay. Local history, biology, politics etc. blend it all together very well
Thank you very much! I appreciate that since I rewrote it for 30 hours until it felt right. Hard mix of topics!
As always your words - your words. Thank you.
I spent No Kings Day with my 89 and 92 year old grandparents. Then I took my 6 year old to the Smithsonian before those too are taken from us.
That is an excellent way to spend a day.
“The most important thing about the election is not that Trump was proclaimed the winner, but that he was allowed to run.”
I would say that it is also important, perhaps more important, that our past presidents have been allowed to run for a second term. But perhaps much of the public was not aware of what they did during their first term.
Agree and Trump follows a long line of presidents who should have been indicted (Watergate, Iran Contra, a litany of war crimes, etc.) But televised sedition is a new clear low standard. And if they didn’t like that crime, well, he did a thousand more.
He was also allowed to be a career criminal for decades. I feel like that matters.
Capitalism has been organized crime ruling our society for centuries. We can distinguish between two major types of organized crime: the legal crimes (landlords, armaments manufacturers, fossil fuel companies, etc.) and the illegal crimes (e.g., the mafia). I think that nearly all of our presidents have been engaged in legal crimes. Trump has skirted the border between the legal and illegal, and in that respect Trump is something new.
The juxtaposition of what it is to experience America's wonders and the reality of what America has become touched me, as I sit in Vienna and contemplate the meaning of citizenship and allegiance to bits of land within borders. I'm finding it difficult to let go of the country of my origin and aware that Europe is part of that transnational gang. I'm surrounded by beauty here, the spoils of empire, but console myself that at least there is health care for all, kindergarten from the age of 2, public transportation with elevators, actually affordable housing owned by the city rather than rich developers, and a year's time off for new parents. I suppose at 71 I can justify the benefits of learning a new language, not having to drive, reorienting myself to every aspect of life, and especially not breaking the bank on my tiny flat, which most housing regulations in US cities wouldn't allow to be built. Am I a traitor or just an old woman wanting to be free of a place that was good to me but isn't, never was, what I thought it was. I'm grateful to you for this piece, as it helped me put a little of what I've been feeling into words.
You're not a traitor! You're a person with a life. I don't judge Americans who live abroad; I judge people who gleefully abandon everyone else while doing so or think they're heroes because they fled. Vienna is a wonderful city. It's the first city I visited outside the US. I studied there for my junior year of college and loved it; every day I had a new place to explore. I can't wait for my daughter to see Vienna, because she's a violinist, and that is the best city for classical musicians. I hope she's allowed past border patrol so she can go. Anyway, go get yourself a sachertorte and don't feel bad for enjoying an interesting city. I live in St Louis, the Vienna of the US (I've actually written about this -- it has that same feeling of once having been the centerpiece of an empire, now fallen and full of ruins; I feel that way in Istanbul too.)
Thanks for your kindness, and I’ll be googling that piece on St Louis! (Some of my best colleagues before I retired were Missourians.)
No you are a traitor at all, but what you use your "lantern" for remains in your hands. Seek out like minded people, of all countries, and work with them to create and spread goodness in Vienna. I have friends there from UK and Germany and we work together on our joint project and beliefs. You will give power and share the power of your associations - they will lift you when you feel tired and alone. All over the world the darkness is coming - make sure you have plenty of batteries!! :-)
Thanks, Dave. I’ve volunteered during my time here to help refugees improve their English, and I am mentoring young people beyond helping with English. I practice kindness, amplify the voices of activists and others who I feel need to be heard. Also to amplify beautiful and excellent writing and cultural experiences. To never stop learning. And a bad back forces me to rest when I need to and to take things slow. My work is to let go of an identity I once held at a time when people who are dear to me are fighting to be able to be proud of that same identity. I hope that makes sense, and I thank you for the prompt to write this because doing so gave me a bit of clarity. Btw, did you mean to include “not” in your first sentence?
Oh I missed a "not" ... darn it ((.... I write quickly and autocorrect comes for me again and again. I'm sorry. Just because you are not here does not make you a traitor. The darkness is everywhere, from rude, drunken behaviour on an English street, to casual acceptance of rich white American relatives: "we are rich and white and Christian, so we don't care", to ruZZians training the drone operators by bombing children in Kherson playgrounds.... shine your lantern, hold it high and let everyone around you see the person you are!! Bless you.
I keep thinking of how you warned for over a decade now what would happen. Society taking women’s warnings seriously is long, long overdue.
And the military parade being a total flop truly does speak to Americans being tired of endless wars. What a time to be alive.
It's frustrating. Many still treat me horribly for being right too early and for being a woman in a traditionally male field. That Bobbie Gentry article wasn't just about Bobbie Gentry...Thankfully, my readers are great! Also, very good point on the military parade flop being yet another indicator that Americans will not accept a new war!
Totally! I also appreciate you investing in your self care despite the current circumstances. Your travel pictures are very cathartic. We have to savor our joy whenever we can. You’ve done more than enough, and others have to pick up and keep us moving forward.
And even those sitting with T-rump appeared especially weary of this charade.
Seriously! They would rather be anywhere else. Even him. He seemed so bored.
They reminded me of watching an eighth grade graduation and band performance. Just this "Oh God please stop looking at me and get me the hell out of this middle school" vibe!
(I recently attended an 8th grade graduation lol)
exactly!!! you nailed it
I agree with you about Persephone instead of Cassandra. You've been Cassandra for too long.
Beautiful photography and a spot on analogy. I’m not some people will ever understand what has happened re Trump’s winning elections. I’m still getting yelled at for quoting your predictions, which is morbidly funny because your predictions have been correct.
Thank you, Sarah.
I left out the word “sure” in my haste to applaud Sarah!
That pie leaves me speechless
It is an AMAZING pie. You don’t eat the whole thing. Just a little slice! Which of course is actually a giant slice even when it’s a sliver. But great!
Yes, that pie is … perverse.
Thank you for your bravery, and for playing the role of Cassandra as well as Persephone 💐 grateful for your insight and analysis always
Years ago, my family went to a natural cave that was somewhere near Lake of the Ozarks. I do not remember the name of the cave or the exact location, but I remember the 'feel' of it, the smell of it. Different from caves that are lit up and have stairs with rails, I enjoyed it. Thank you for reminding me.
Sarah, thank you for using and sharing your gift of writing . It is a pleasure to read your work. Wonderful balance of light and dark. One love .
Thank you!