"Trump hasn't even started yet, and I have already described a new political landscape in the US that could easily lead us to despair. Yet, I plead for hope. We can navigate stormy waters as we have done so many countless times in the past. Hope is not a passive emotion; it is an active choice. Hope asks for connection, community, and a renewed appreciation for the world around us."
The next four years will be pivotal. Monumental. I will meet whatever needs to be met to help the planet and keep democracy. Keeping hope near me, while acting in the best interest of all.
I look forward to your documenting this next chapter.
Thank you, Rena. I find it hard to accept that the majority of American voters chose this direction for America’s future. I so much hope that my fears for America’s future prove to be unfounded, and that there will be free and fair elections in 2028; they are may or may not be free but it’s highly unlikely they will be fair, which confirms the end of democracy in the US. Please mark this in your calendar for November 2028 and let me know by then if I was right.
A welcome reentry into the writing of your essays. I have missed them.
This one is an all encompassing view of the fragility of our reality, globally as well as focusing on the unappetizing stew of US politics suffering from the poisonous personalities who have infiltrated the electorate with the stench of corruption and fascism.
Unfathomably, a man who violently attacked his own country including democracy has once again abandoned his country by selling the presidency to save himself from prison for his crimes while President the first time. The massive damages of the past will multiply horrifically in the new attempt and it remains to be seen whether America can survive and how much new damage he can inflict on the planet.
This writing is so full of worthy points that I won’t attempt to address each but will rely instead on the pillars of beauty, hope and positivity. With the obstacles we face, it’s imperative we use the inspiration found in embracing the magnificent beauty of our world and unify in protecting the good things that give us reason to use hopeful positivity to turn back the evil stealthily lurking around each corner.
Your awesome images as well as descriptions are exquisite backdrops mirroring the power and mood of the ocean. The fury and imminence of the swirling water aren’t unlike the malevolent geopolitical landscape requiring careful traversing. The ocean at least is beautiful.
There’s comfort in knowing you are on this uncertain journey of 2025.🙏
I enjoyed that comparison of the stretch of beach in two moods. I have only seen the riled up ocean from the shore, from the steady land--it must be a whole different experience in a boat or wind kite. From the shore, when I witness the incredible power and size of the ocean, I am always in wonder, a humble wonder, that my everyday life walks around in the midst of these titanic powers of our planet held steady by another force--gravity.
I expect that I will spend much of the next four years trying to take in each day and follow the goodness when I can; it is a defensive posture, I'm holding on tight to any light I can so I will keep seeing the goodness. Wifa's blessing has really stayed with me. " May every sunrise bring you hope and every sunset bring you peace."
Thank you, Leslie, I also loved those words and will see sunsets and sunrises as symbols of hope and peace. Perhaps, without noticing, I already felt the hope and peace. Thinking about it while I type this, it’s hard to imagine my early morning walks in Spain, where I saw the sun rising and the first light pushing out the darkness, as anything else than hope. Similarly, I always experience a feeling of peace and gratitude when I walk on this island’s western beaches when the sun sets.
Congress #119 met today for swearing in, the Democratic Senators though a -3 were civil and accomplished their business while the GOP House with it’s miniscule majority passed 34 pages of rules after much debate that were largely absurd to my uneducated procedural mind, extending the “vacate the chair “ rule to 9 GOP members, securing Johnson’s election as speaker only after Trump’s intervention in the back room of course. There is no chairperson of the Rules Committee yet? Otherwise, the continuing persecution of the Bidens was assured, DEI was eliminated completely. Many alterations of terms that were unnecessary to what end? Let’s not forget that electronic voting is now permitted. Any action of substance ie the price of food, housing etc. that was promised was completely absent.
2025 here we go again! But with much thought and foresight to damn the 99% while enriching the 1% ; clearly the name of the game is power and 💰for the tech bros, Musk, Thiel , et.al. Cannot really include Trump who is a puppet for all intents and purposes and grifting junk to pay legal fees. Sorry to dump on hope; I’ll rise tomorrow. Just happened here at the moment of adjournment for some relief among my Tribe. Rena is so thoughtful and composed as always. As I aspire to be but record this as much for myself as others since I am so very alone in the dark already. 🕊️
You are right to be appalled by all that, and the lying, cheating, and betrayal of those who voted them into power has only just begun. But just because we’re guaranteed to read scandal after scandal for years -as long as there is a free press- it’s important to balance the information you read. I hope you also find time for positive vibes, art, literature, movies, and more. It not only distracts, it’s the essence of why we enjoy life; make sure you are not like him and them by appreciating all the beauty that’s at stake.
Such positive coping ideas. Thank you for the encouragement. My complicating health issues, especially the mobility deterioration that advances daily, cages my brain in a body that no longer works. Therein lies the difficulty; my world is one room, my virtual escapes take so much more energy than prior years, I am fading away. Escape into culture and beauty is increasingly difficult. Nearing the end would be so much more comforting if I could let go after so much hard work brought us all to electoral defeat. Others can fight for the future of this beautiful nation but it is clear I will not see the end of the tech bros and complicit monster Trump. I gave all I could but there are so few tomorrows, I must abandon the fight to those younger generations with an unbearable sadness that I will not see beyond the ugliness of this time. I must focus on culture and beauty when I am able, especially my girls, my family 😸😸. They are so patient. What comes after remains a curiosity to me as I was not reared in any theology. I hope to explore those ideas now before it is too late. My hero is NAVALNY who persisted in resistance with courage and a bright smile, fully recognizing he would likely not survive; he made a choice that others might not. His gift to Russia was incredibly selfless; and his legacy a model of patriotism. He could have stayed in exile but chose country first. But he was no fool; he prepared documentaries to guide those who followed. He exposed the truth of the corruption of Putin and brought the people together in common purpose. His legacy will endure. So very tired, must move onto daily routine, increasingly difficult. Be well. Give us beauty in chaos. Such is your remarkable gift. 😘
My favorite song in Les Mis is a reflection on past hopes; an ideal that has faded; a sense of loss and disillusionment. It is running through my head; as 2025 comes in with a violence I have not seen; tragedies that seem unconscionable as they fill up my feed every morning.
There is no: Welcome to a New Year. Come in and look around. Make yourself comfortable and try not to break anything. January hits us with dark anger, shootings, terrorism, death and a constant news media trying to make some sense of it.
There is no sense to be made. We have left port and are flailing in thunderous seas. The Titanic is backing up to hit the iceberg again. It feels like Trump 2.0 will swallow us whole and whoever can paddle the fastest will survive.
And paddle we must; the only thing to do is keep swimming. Keep hoping. Because "The tigers come at night with their voices soft as thunder as they tear your hope apart and they turn your dream to shame."
It is as if Hugo is telling us: hope, love and compassion are the only lifeboats working here. If we do not extend these, this will be a storm we cannot weather. Thank you, Alex, for lowering these lifeboats into the water. "I dreamed a dream in time gone by..."
You’re so right Sharon. The tigers are out in force and it’s going to be awful. But your reference to the song just motivated me to search for it online and I ended up listening to the famous first performance of susan Boyle. Those tigers brought me a share of beauty this Sunday afternoon, there is beauty to be found everywhere.
This after the tragic violence in New Orleans and elsewhere for what purpose? Already gearing up for a violent year with more guns than people! And no logic in sight! 😪.
Thanks Alex for writing to us regularly, to share your feelings and to find this energy ✍️😊!!
This impression of being in front of our world as in front of a book whose pages would be swept away by an incessant, unmanageable wind,
Witness to all these upheavals, of their acceleration, while remaining aware of the present and future problems...
But without losing sight of the essentials: continue our “path of life”, in harmony with ourselves and with our values, anchored in our saving roots.
It is through hope that we can project ourselves positively into the future, mobilize our mind and energy towards our deep aspirations, find the resources to lighten the burden of all these upheavals that leave us helpless.
Hope is a living force that can be cultivated., and can be enriched day after day.
Eventually, fascism always hits a self-destruct button, but never before too many lives have been sacrificed to the alter of their dream of being a nightmare for others. There will in every stage be nights of long knives possible, followed by Stauffenberg plots, and -just before the end- mass betrayal by the inner core. The stage is set; it will be an ugly show. Soon the curtain will open: the first scene includes persecution of minorities, limiting press freedom, and aggression towards weaker countries.
Thank you Alex for such a thoughtful and provocative analysis of what our country (and other democracies on the planet) is going through. It’s an emotionally draining and exhausting time to describe and your post was so well thought out. You’re an author (AND a poet). Everyone who has commented seems to have a way of “coping” with what we’re facing on 20 January.
Mine is the beauty of music.
I’m trying to stay on my so-called “news blackout”, but it is very difficult with headlines coming across my phone of the goings on with the 119th Congress and the ridiculous phone call to the president elect from a back room of the House of Representatives and its shadily elected speaker.
This is no way to run a country and it’s most nerve
-wracking. I’m hopeful that the Democrats will be the
“adults in the room” and respect the Constitution which seems like it’s being torn to shreds. To “be hopeful” I listen to Beethoven and Schubert who fought valiantly against great adversity and produced eternally beautiful music. Others take walks and look to mother nature, which I wish I could do… Certainly your walks on the Camino have brought you some peace the way your dunes do when you’re on your island. I’m happy that those nature-filled times produce posts like the one on which I’m commenting. Thank you 🙏
Thank you for the kind words, Anne. Beethoven created beauty we can still enjoy even he couldn’t hear it himself. I also remember a small painting by Monet, likely in the Musée d’Orsay, that he made at the end of his life when he was nearly blind. They created beauty against all odds. It makes it even harder to accept that so many support a man who destroys the beauty of nature (drilling in national parks) of family life (permanent separation of little children from their parents), of art, science, and so much more.
Your answer to my comment is not only appreciated, but is so spot on in comparing those who
created beauty (and I know the Monet in the Musée D’Orsay to which you referred), to the president elect and his cronies who destroy everything they touch. I hadn’t thought of the analogy and I’m so grateful to you for mentioning it♥️
"Trump hasn't even started yet, and I have already described a new political landscape in the US that could easily lead us to despair. Yet, I plead for hope. We can navigate stormy waters as we have done so many countless times in the past. Hope is not a passive emotion; it is an active choice. Hope asks for connection, community, and a renewed appreciation for the world around us."
The next four years will be pivotal. Monumental. I will meet whatever needs to be met to help the planet and keep democracy. Keeping hope near me, while acting in the best interest of all.
I look forward to your documenting this next chapter.
Thank you, Rena. I find it hard to accept that the majority of American voters chose this direction for America’s future. I so much hope that my fears for America’s future prove to be unfounded, and that there will be free and fair elections in 2028; they are may or may not be free but it’s highly unlikely they will be fair, which confirms the end of democracy in the US. Please mark this in your calendar for November 2028 and let me know by then if I was right.
A welcome reentry into the writing of your essays. I have missed them.
This one is an all encompassing view of the fragility of our reality, globally as well as focusing on the unappetizing stew of US politics suffering from the poisonous personalities who have infiltrated the electorate with the stench of corruption and fascism.
Unfathomably, a man who violently attacked his own country including democracy has once again abandoned his country by selling the presidency to save himself from prison for his crimes while President the first time. The massive damages of the past will multiply horrifically in the new attempt and it remains to be seen whether America can survive and how much new damage he can inflict on the planet.
This writing is so full of worthy points that I won’t attempt to address each but will rely instead on the pillars of beauty, hope and positivity. With the obstacles we face, it’s imperative we use the inspiration found in embracing the magnificent beauty of our world and unify in protecting the good things that give us reason to use hopeful positivity to turn back the evil stealthily lurking around each corner.
Your awesome images as well as descriptions are exquisite backdrops mirroring the power and mood of the ocean. The fury and imminence of the swirling water aren’t unlike the malevolent geopolitical landscape requiring careful traversing. The ocean at least is beautiful.
There’s comfort in knowing you are on this uncertain journey of 2025.🙏
Thank you, Lizzie, and sorry for the late reply, I’m catching up on many messages after the holiday break.
I enjoyed that comparison of the stretch of beach in two moods. I have only seen the riled up ocean from the shore, from the steady land--it must be a whole different experience in a boat or wind kite. From the shore, when I witness the incredible power and size of the ocean, I am always in wonder, a humble wonder, that my everyday life walks around in the midst of these titanic powers of our planet held steady by another force--gravity.
I expect that I will spend much of the next four years trying to take in each day and follow the goodness when I can; it is a defensive posture, I'm holding on tight to any light I can so I will keep seeing the goodness. Wifa's blessing has really stayed with me. " May every sunrise bring you hope and every sunset bring you peace."
Thank you, Leslie, I also loved those words and will see sunsets and sunrises as symbols of hope and peace. Perhaps, without noticing, I already felt the hope and peace. Thinking about it while I type this, it’s hard to imagine my early morning walks in Spain, where I saw the sun rising and the first light pushing out the darkness, as anything else than hope. Similarly, I always experience a feeling of peace and gratitude when I walk on this island’s western beaches when the sun sets.
I think that the choice to hold onto hope is also a courageous and worthwhile one ☺️
Yes 👏
Congress #119 met today for swearing in, the Democratic Senators though a -3 were civil and accomplished their business while the GOP House with it’s miniscule majority passed 34 pages of rules after much debate that were largely absurd to my uneducated procedural mind, extending the “vacate the chair “ rule to 9 GOP members, securing Johnson’s election as speaker only after Trump’s intervention in the back room of course. There is no chairperson of the Rules Committee yet? Otherwise, the continuing persecution of the Bidens was assured, DEI was eliminated completely. Many alterations of terms that were unnecessary to what end? Let’s not forget that electronic voting is now permitted. Any action of substance ie the price of food, housing etc. that was promised was completely absent.
2025 here we go again! But with much thought and foresight to damn the 99% while enriching the 1% ; clearly the name of the game is power and 💰for the tech bros, Musk, Thiel , et.al. Cannot really include Trump who is a puppet for all intents and purposes and grifting junk to pay legal fees. Sorry to dump on hope; I’ll rise tomorrow. Just happened here at the moment of adjournment for some relief among my Tribe. Rena is so thoughtful and composed as always. As I aspire to be but record this as much for myself as others since I am so very alone in the dark already. 🕊️
You are right to be appalled by all that, and the lying, cheating, and betrayal of those who voted them into power has only just begun. But just because we’re guaranteed to read scandal after scandal for years -as long as there is a free press- it’s important to balance the information you read. I hope you also find time for positive vibes, art, literature, movies, and more. It not only distracts, it’s the essence of why we enjoy life; make sure you are not like him and them by appreciating all the beauty that’s at stake.
Such positive coping ideas. Thank you for the encouragement. My complicating health issues, especially the mobility deterioration that advances daily, cages my brain in a body that no longer works. Therein lies the difficulty; my world is one room, my virtual escapes take so much more energy than prior years, I am fading away. Escape into culture and beauty is increasingly difficult. Nearing the end would be so much more comforting if I could let go after so much hard work brought us all to electoral defeat. Others can fight for the future of this beautiful nation but it is clear I will not see the end of the tech bros and complicit monster Trump. I gave all I could but there are so few tomorrows, I must abandon the fight to those younger generations with an unbearable sadness that I will not see beyond the ugliness of this time. I must focus on culture and beauty when I am able, especially my girls, my family 😸😸. They are so patient. What comes after remains a curiosity to me as I was not reared in any theology. I hope to explore those ideas now before it is too late. My hero is NAVALNY who persisted in resistance with courage and a bright smile, fully recognizing he would likely not survive; he made a choice that others might not. His gift to Russia was incredibly selfless; and his legacy a model of patriotism. He could have stayed in exile but chose country first. But he was no fool; he prepared documentaries to guide those who followed. He exposed the truth of the corruption of Putin and brought the people together in common purpose. His legacy will endure. So very tired, must move onto daily routine, increasingly difficult. Be well. Give us beauty in chaos. Such is your remarkable gift. 😘
🙏📜
I'm ready for new challenges. And I wish you all a successful 2025.
Thank you, Mary-Ann, you too 😊
My favorite song in Les Mis is a reflection on past hopes; an ideal that has faded; a sense of loss and disillusionment. It is running through my head; as 2025 comes in with a violence I have not seen; tragedies that seem unconscionable as they fill up my feed every morning.
There is no: Welcome to a New Year. Come in and look around. Make yourself comfortable and try not to break anything. January hits us with dark anger, shootings, terrorism, death and a constant news media trying to make some sense of it.
There is no sense to be made. We have left port and are flailing in thunderous seas. The Titanic is backing up to hit the iceberg again. It feels like Trump 2.0 will swallow us whole and whoever can paddle the fastest will survive.
And paddle we must; the only thing to do is keep swimming. Keep hoping. Because "The tigers come at night with their voices soft as thunder as they tear your hope apart and they turn your dream to shame."
It is as if Hugo is telling us: hope, love and compassion are the only lifeboats working here. If we do not extend these, this will be a storm we cannot weather. Thank you, Alex, for lowering these lifeboats into the water. "I dreamed a dream in time gone by..."
You’re so right Sharon. The tigers are out in force and it’s going to be awful. But your reference to the song just motivated me to search for it online and I ended up listening to the famous first performance of susan Boyle. Those tigers brought me a share of beauty this Sunday afternoon, there is beauty to be found everywhere.
I love Susan Boyle. "And dreams were made and used and wasted. There was no ransom to be paid, no song unsung no wine untasted."
This after the tragic violence in New Orleans and elsewhere for what purpose? Already gearing up for a violent year with more guns than people! And no logic in sight! 😪.
Thanks Alex for writing to us regularly, to share your feelings and to find this energy ✍️😊!!
This impression of being in front of our world as in front of a book whose pages would be swept away by an incessant, unmanageable wind,
Witness to all these upheavals, of their acceleration, while remaining aware of the present and future problems...
But without losing sight of the essentials: continue our “path of life”, in harmony with ourselves and with our values, anchored in our saving roots.
It is through hope that we can project ourselves positively into the future, mobilize our mind and energy towards our deep aspirations, find the resources to lighten the burden of all these upheavals that leave us helpless.
Hope is a living force that can be cultivated., and can be enriched day after day.
And I believe in it 🙏
Beautiful. Thank you Danièle
My hope is that the chaos of so many huge egos colliding will bring the GOP and MAGA down!
Eventually, fascism always hits a self-destruct button, but never before too many lives have been sacrificed to the alter of their dream of being a nightmare for others. There will in every stage be nights of long knives possible, followed by Stauffenberg plots, and -just before the end- mass betrayal by the inner core. The stage is set; it will be an ugly show. Soon the curtain will open: the first scene includes persecution of minorities, limiting press freedom, and aggression towards weaker countries.
I like that and it looks possible. Fingers crossed.
Thank you Alex for such a thoughtful and provocative analysis of what our country (and other democracies on the planet) is going through. It’s an emotionally draining and exhausting time to describe and your post was so well thought out. You’re an author (AND a poet). Everyone who has commented seems to have a way of “coping” with what we’re facing on 20 January.
Mine is the beauty of music.
I’m trying to stay on my so-called “news blackout”, but it is very difficult with headlines coming across my phone of the goings on with the 119th Congress and the ridiculous phone call to the president elect from a back room of the House of Representatives and its shadily elected speaker.
This is no way to run a country and it’s most nerve
-wracking. I’m hopeful that the Democrats will be the
“adults in the room” and respect the Constitution which seems like it’s being torn to shreds. To “be hopeful” I listen to Beethoven and Schubert who fought valiantly against great adversity and produced eternally beautiful music. Others take walks and look to mother nature, which I wish I could do… Certainly your walks on the Camino have brought you some peace the way your dunes do when you’re on your island. I’m happy that those nature-filled times produce posts like the one on which I’m commenting. Thank you 🙏
for this one and the ones I know will follow!
Thank you for the kind words, Anne. Beethoven created beauty we can still enjoy even he couldn’t hear it himself. I also remember a small painting by Monet, likely in the Musée d’Orsay, that he made at the end of his life when he was nearly blind. They created beauty against all odds. It makes it even harder to accept that so many support a man who destroys the beauty of nature (drilling in national parks) of family life (permanent separation of little children from their parents), of art, science, and so much more.
Your answer to my comment is not only appreciated, but is so spot on in comparing those who
created beauty (and I know the Monet in the Musée D’Orsay to which you referred), to the president elect and his cronies who destroy everything they touch. I hadn’t thought of the analogy and I’m so grateful to you for mentioning it♥️