Abraham Lincoln once said, “I am an optimist because I don’t see the point in being anything else.” Winston Churchill agreed, “I am an optimist. It does not seem too much use being anything else.” This past week, I attended the American Political History Conference, and I had the privilege of appearing on the final panel with some truly astounding scholars. The theme of the closing plenary was The Past, The Promise, and the Future of American Democracy. As a bunch of journalists and scholars, we naturally talked about the crumbling, slow, and sometimes sudden death of democracy.
The power of positivity is all over this essay; also, it appears, is the “Law of Attraction” that Rhonda Byrne espouses. It bolsters every movement you speak of, every film and book that has an unfolding plot like HP’s does
(Avengers: Engame and The Rise of Skywalker come to mind). It will sustain us throughout these troubling times of Trump “doublespeak” so consuming him and his acolytes. Thank you for your timely words.
In various discussions with friends and colleagues I have thought the same thing about solutions to the industrial healthcare dilemma: If there was an easy solution we would have done it by now! Of course the even more daunting question is: Once we have the solution how do we change the system from present state to new state? There was a movement that had stated after Michael Moore's film Sicko, however it fell apart after 9/11.
There are times I fondly long for the days when I was young and would actively support Social Change because the ideas were right. Period. Now I look back at age 62 and think of Oscar Wilde's quote: “In America the young are always ready to give to those who are older than themselves the full benefits of their inexperience.”
Yes, at 62 I can appreciate the Herculean task of how to change a system with so many entrenched players who don't want to compromise their money and power. I miss the feeling that I could actually create change that inspired me in my teens and 20s. Then surprisingly America recognized LGBTQIA+ rights! So maybe we CAN create change, just not as fast as we want!
Your recounting of Luna Lovegood's simple but powerful truth was well timed. Yes, after COVID many of us feel way more isolated, more disconnected, more unsure, more powerless. Now more than ever we need to own our power and learn to wield it, and to re-connect with others pursuing the same goals!
I’m encountering a number of don’t-stop-now messages and they are all, like your excellent one, deeply important to me personally as well as to all of us. It can feel a grueling task to speak up (yet again) as in the case of your doctor, but what a satisfying result and I, too, have experienced first hand the effect of doing so. In the Los Angeles primaries before the pandemic and lockdown, I canvassed in a Compton neighborhood, and was amazed at how many people didn’t understand what a particular candidate’s track record was. Not only were they not aware, they were eager to know more! We helped to get our candidate elected and it was a a stunning revelation – the power of people speaking to other people. Thank you!
A lot of us are having complicated relationships with Rowling lately, but still and all, there are a few home truths in the Harry Potter books, a couple of which are from Luna, like the one you cite here. I’m adding it to my “Keep your head up” list along with this, from Angela Davis.
“Well, I don’t think we have any alternative other than remaining optimistic. Optimism is an absolute necessity even though it’s only optimism of the will, as Gramsci said, and pessimism of the intellect.”
"And if I had any doubt, I revisited this poem my friend sent me from the audience while I was talking."
I would forgive your casual reader it they thought that your friend in the audience had written the poem!
You did credit Tennyson, eventually. I'm pretty sure many of your readers did not recognize the poem or author - or perhaps even make the connection at the end of your piece!
Thank you for the post. The tale of the busy practitioner offers some encouragement.
The power of positivity is all over this essay; also, it appears, is the “Law of Attraction” that Rhonda Byrne espouses. It bolsters every movement you speak of, every film and book that has an unfolding plot like HP’s does
(Avengers: Engame and The Rise of Skywalker come to mind). It will sustain us throughout these troubling times of Trump “doublespeak” so consuming him and his acolytes. Thank you for your timely words.
In various discussions with friends and colleagues I have thought the same thing about solutions to the industrial healthcare dilemma: If there was an easy solution we would have done it by now! Of course the even more daunting question is: Once we have the solution how do we change the system from present state to new state? There was a movement that had stated after Michael Moore's film Sicko, however it fell apart after 9/11.
There are times I fondly long for the days when I was young and would actively support Social Change because the ideas were right. Period. Now I look back at age 62 and think of Oscar Wilde's quote: “In America the young are always ready to give to those who are older than themselves the full benefits of their inexperience.”
Yes, at 62 I can appreciate the Herculean task of how to change a system with so many entrenched players who don't want to compromise their money and power. I miss the feeling that I could actually create change that inspired me in my teens and 20s. Then surprisingly America recognized LGBTQIA+ rights! So maybe we CAN create change, just not as fast as we want!
Your recounting of Luna Lovegood's simple but powerful truth was well timed. Yes, after COVID many of us feel way more isolated, more disconnected, more unsure, more powerless. Now more than ever we need to own our power and learn to wield it, and to re-connect with others pursuing the same goals!
I’m encountering a number of don’t-stop-now messages and they are all, like your excellent one, deeply important to me personally as well as to all of us. It can feel a grueling task to speak up (yet again) as in the case of your doctor, but what a satisfying result and I, too, have experienced first hand the effect of doing so. In the Los Angeles primaries before the pandemic and lockdown, I canvassed in a Compton neighborhood, and was amazed at how many people didn’t understand what a particular candidate’s track record was. Not only were they not aware, they were eager to know more! We helped to get our candidate elected and it was a a stunning revelation – the power of people speaking to other people. Thank you!
A lot of us are having complicated relationships with Rowling lately, but still and all, there are a few home truths in the Harry Potter books, a couple of which are from Luna, like the one you cite here. I’m adding it to my “Keep your head up” list along with this, from Angela Davis.
“Well, I don’t think we have any alternative other than remaining optimistic. Optimism is an absolute necessity even though it’s only optimism of the will, as Gramsci said, and pessimism of the intellect.”
(Angela Davis, “Freedom is a Constant Struggle”)
Thank you! Thoughtfully written!
"And if I had any doubt, I revisited this poem my friend sent me from the audience while I was talking."
I would forgive your casual reader it they thought that your friend in the audience had written the poem!
You did credit Tennyson, eventually. I'm pretty sure many of your readers did not recognize the poem or author - or perhaps even make the connection at the end of your piece!
Chevy, South Hadley, MA