When you’re living life a breakneck speed, with five different goals and 35 things to do to reach each one, it’s easy to freak out when something goes wrong. One plate starts wobbling, threatening to fall, and we immediately throw all the rest in the air because OHMYGODICAN’TKEEPTHISUPWITHTHISKINDOFFAILUREI’MJUSTGOINGTOQUIT.
Being excited that today is today
Lois, our giant white and black dog, wakes up every morning so excited that today is today. She loves today. Today, Lois feels, is the best day ever, every day. And why not? She doesn’t know about gridlock in Washington or women’s reproductive rights being under assault all over the nation, or how many extra bills popped up this month, or ongoing racial inequality or gender inequality or the widening gap between the rich and the poor. Also, she’s a dog.
What 9/11 means for my generation: A call for a less angry decade
The distance between 19 and 29 is always a revelatory one, but for me it has been a decade defined by the slow and steady realization of exactly what happened to us that day. Today, I feel most touched by 9/11 when I see politicians saying their goal is to defeat each other instead of promising to make changes for good. I see it in angry Facebook posts and scathing blogs. I see it in recall campaigns and fear-mongering around dinner tables. I see the anger everywhere, and it’s exhausting. I’m deeply disheartened by the negativity all around me. I’m more than disheartened; I’m disappointed.
Natalie Burg 