a communication and facilitation consulting business
Last month the KKK visited my county seat with hoods and recruitment signs. This message isn’t for them. They felt welcome here due to my county’s fierce resistance to changing the names of two public schools that were named after Confederate leaders in the 1950s and 1960s (in the midst of desegregation). Resistance here comes from some county politicians, school alumni, and community members. This message is for them. …AND...
I have a friend, we’ll call her Jessica, who doesn’t speak to her mother, says the relationship is damaged beyond repair. When Jessica was a child her mom allowed abuse, defended the abuser, and turned the parenting of Jessica over to her grandmother in order to continue living with the abuser. Jessica says, “I’ve tried to have a relationship with her over the years. We’d keep hitting an...
“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” – Martin Luther King, Jr. When unjust events happen, this quote is often evoked as a narrative changer, a hope giver. It was one of Barack Obama’s favorites. I’ve heard a similar sentiment from the older folks in my life, too. “As bad as things seem, they used to be so much worse.” Things are...
Glennon Doyle started her successful blog, Momastery (pronounced like monastery, not mastery) with a list, 25 Things About Me. It seemed like an effective introduction to who she is and what the blog might be about. So, I thought I’d try the same. My best and worst trait is my honesty. When I write a long thoughtful email, I reread it several times before I send it AND...
I’ve been talking about starting this blog for about a year now. I noticed that I had essays floating in my head. Not just thoughts or topics, but essays. Each was loosely outlined with stories and supporting points. I’d find myself reciting parts of these essays to people in conversations. Months ago, when there were just five, I figured I should start a list of essays. So I...