I often feel that as a responsible human, I should stay informed about my fellow humans. Yes, injustice and depravity have always existed, but…damn, y’all. Cruelty feels ramped up to terrifying levels.

This may certainly be because we have access to news 24/7 from hundreds of streams. We are so flooded with nightmare fuel, we could burn up our souls for a millennia. If we last that long.

Stories have long told us humans can be cruel. Right? So many of us have seen or read the same stories, showing us how to be good and that bullies are bad and that justice must win, and we have done our best to live accordingly. You know, love wins, power corrupts, and people are not things. Yet here we are with far too many people declaring domination is everything, i.e. love is limited, corruption is power, and some folks are more equal than others.

These are challenging times.

Thanks to a friend’s blog, I was reminded of a beloved Mary Oliver poem.

Don’t Hesitate by Mary Oliver

If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy,
don’t hesitate. Give in to it. There are plenty
of lives and whole towns destroyed or about
to be. We are not wise, and not very often
kind. And much can never be redeemed.
Still, life has some possibility left. Perhaps this
is its way of fighting back, that sometimes
something happens better than all the riches
or power in the world. It could be anything,
but very likely you notice it in the instant
when love begins. Anyway, that’s often the
case. Anyway, whatever it is, don’t be afraid
of its plenty. Joy is not made to be a crumb.

All this to say, I’m going to make art and write stories in which love wins over corruption and people are not things. And joy is a feast for everyone.

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