When I started the blog in 2007, I decided to skip writing about politics. I genuinely hate the left-right, mind, and idea killing back and forth of the left and the right. I hate labels, and I hate that all discussion instantly becomes an argument, real dialogue and thought seems to die.
To me, this is the death of the American mind, it is eroding our democracy and I don’t want to participate in it.
So I write mostly about my life, the farm, the dogs, and animals. I guess I’ve had nine lives, at least.
This weekend, I decided to write about the political and cultural implications of the virus, the fascinating Cuomo-Trump drama, the ghosts of reality TV, and Greek drama reflected in the politics and media coverage, and also comparing my mistakes and bad qualities to the Presidents.
Since he admits to no mistakes, and I make so many, it was a bit unbalanced.
I wasn’t looking to enter the never-ending political squabbling online.
Still, as a former journalist, newspaper editor, media critic, and TV News producer, I couldn’t resist jumping in a bit and looking for some cultural context.
This is what I used to do when I wrote for WIRED and Rolling Stone.
I was stunned by the response. The three pieces drew more than 150,000 shares, and at least two, perhaps three, went viral. I was inundated with left-right arguments, comments, the now-standard death threats, and messages.
And yes, more praise and compliments for these pieces than I have ever received.
The pieces were hard to write and took some thought and research, and my head is tired. Pieces like that take hours.
I felt as if I had been tossed right into the whirlwind, but I loved doing and take my shots when I think it is appropriate. This is a time in life where I need to speak up; I don’t want to die without having raised my voice. It matters now.
I think I found my groove thought, a way to write about the context of the virus and not the virus itself.
This week, I’m going to try to do what artists are supposed to do in a crisis, brighten up people’s lives a bit.
Today is Beautiful Photo Day; I’m going to put up a series of beautiful and hopefully soothing photos.
Maria and I want to do a podcast later this morning. I will make more videos of our walks in the woods with dogs; homebound people are pleading with me to do that. That will be a pleasure.
And I will continue to try to get more gift cards for the refugee families, and dinner and lunch money for the locked-in Mansion residents.
The first Beautiful Photo Day photo is above, of Bud watching us as we go into the pasture. Yes, I think he was sad at being left behind, but he got happy when I threw him a Bully Stick. Bud isn’t into pouting; he’s been through worse.
I will put aside the weightier matters of the day and rest my smoldering brain.
Thanks for all the lovely comments. I am truly staggered by the response.
I hope this week Maria and I can give you reasons to be hopeful and peaceful. Hang in there, and be safe.
Jon – I was one of those who shared those posts of yours……I admired how you wrote them, I was struck by the sheer excellence of what you said. I thought a lot about each post, and my husband and I talked about them. I was glad to see you enter the “fray” in another way, as what you see and what you say are so often of value — without histronics, you spoke the truths as they are happening in this frightening time. It is sad to see the governors having to fight for their states and try to ignore the truly ignorant responses from this President. And it’s so sad to see so many blindly follow him, “to the slaughter led”. Thank you for those words, and for speaking out. We do need to do that, especially in these times.
Thanks Pam, I appreciate the message…
Jon,
Hopefully you can address a topic with your eloquence to help quell the anger.
I am in a writer in sustainable/regenerative agricultural. I attempt to highlight the uplifting stories of joy & hope. My recent, Local Goats Wearing Many Hats, was a romp with those soulful ruminants.
Now anger overwhelms me as I realize none of this Covid-19 devastation would have happened if Mother Nature had not been disrupted for the greed & comfort of man.
Do you have any words of wisdom?
Pam, you couldn’t have said it better. Thank you, and thank you, Jon for these recent excellent and thoughtful posts!!!
Thanks again, Jon, for all you do!
My head hurts just reading what takes, as you say, hours to research and compose. Brave man!
Love you photos, both yours and Maria’s! I send at least one to my daughter every day.
Thank you so much Jon for your thoughtful pieces, I was one who shared on FB. I also greatly admired this work which is some of your finest, so thoughtful and unique. You nailed it better than any other writer whom I have read, and you did it in an original way. We need your voice desperately in such polarized and frightening times. I am truly saddened at the dying of the American mind, of real dialogue amongst us, along with the lying and blustering of politicians and the erosion and corruption of our republic. Kudos to you, kudos, kudos, kudos.
Yes, it was an excellent piece. A friend who never heard of you forwarded it to me. I know you have a wide audience, but not THAT wide. Congratulations.
“And the speaking gets easier and easier. And you will find you have fallen in love with your own vision, which you may never have realized you had. And at last you’ll know, with surprising certainty, that only one thing is more frightening than speaking your truth. And that is not speaking.” Audre Lorde