Words to help us ring The Liberty Bell for! We are the reason. We are the purpose. We all can do something, anything. Call, write, encourage, assist others, help those that are directly impacted. Continue to be the resistance. Resistance is active. You must move! Happy Fourth!
Jack, Glad you are here to give some of us a kick in the ass. I was ambivalent about the 4th until I realized what it stands for. Not the fireworks or the beer, but the grit and determination of the ones who fought, bled and died to salvage something they knew was worth saving. And God knows it wasn't easy for them. But they soldiered on even when it was tough, inconvenient, cold and disease-ridden. Sounds familiar, Huh?
Do we want to go through this? Not really. Must we? Only if we want our freedom and democracy back. Maybe not for ourselves; perhaps some of us may not live to see the tide turn. But our children, grandchildren and their children will. And maybe, just maybe, they will do fireworks and beer to celebrate the bravery of their ancestors, who stood in the trenches and gave everything for enduring freedom.
Sorry for the sermonizing. And yes, I listened to fireworks for an hour last night. An uplifting experience. Tonight there will be more. And beer.
You know what? I love this. And I’ll tell you why...because you get it. You’ve locked into the real meaning here. You found it yourself.
This...it’s about grit. It’s about people who fought when it was miserable...inconvenient... and flat-out terrifying. And you’re right...it sounds familiar because that’s exactly where we are now. This isn’t the fight we asked for...but it’s the fight we’ve got.
And I’ll tell you this...you never have to apologize for "sermonizing" when you’re reminding people why the hell we’re still standing here.
( In fact...you can even tell me, "Go to hell, Jack!" when you feel like it lol. My skin is thick...But I also enjoy some banter as much as the next person. Sometimes..we all need to let some pressure out of the cooker. So have at me...any time!)
Your grandkids are going to light those fireworks because folks like you didn’t quit. And damn it...Jan...I’ll raise a beer to that! :)
My husband and I observe the Fourth every year by watching our purloined DVD of "Hamilton". Almost three hours of Lin-Manuel Miranda's masterpiece reminding us that we have a Republic, if we can keep it, and we're not throwing away our shot. IYKYK
What a cool way to celebrate. Wow...you've lit my brain up with some ideas for a future newsletter, Marie! (I'll be sure and give you credit...thank you!)
You’re welcome, Kelly. And let me tell you...I love how you said that: “Hoping more people will see the power THEY HAVE.” Bingo. That’s the whole damn ballgame right there.
Funny thing is, some of the people who’ve taught me the most in life? They were the ones I wanted to throw hands with. I mean it...I wanted to fight them..lol. That’s how much I hated that they were poking holes in what I believed. I didn’t hate them...I hated that they made me look at what was holding up my thinking...and realizing it was rickety as hell.
Nobody likes to find out they’ve been wrong for years. I hated it in my twenties. I hated it in my thirties.
But something changed. Over time...I realized the things that were making my life better...were the same things I once wanted to scrap with someone over. I wanted to fight the very thing that would later save my ass.
Now? I salivate over being wrong. You know why? Because it means I’m standing right in front of something new. Something better. Something more useful than the garbage I’ve been dragging around.
That’s the secret weapon. Winners don’t cling to being right. They chase what’s better. Even if they have to bleed ...and maybe feel embarrassed...or like an ass...to get there.
I suppose that I see another POV, which is that not all grief and fear is performative. Some of it is simply...actual grief, or actual fear. I have a great deal of respect for the wide range of ways we have of processing our feelings.
I am definitely your target audience and am sitting with the discomfort of what you've said. You may well be right that my numb, zombie, tears-running-down my cheeks-that-I-cannot-control experience of yesterday and today is weak, but unfortunately I do have my fair share of human weaknesses. It sounds as if your reaction to certain stimuli may just be different than mine.
We would both do well to also remember that there's a massive subset of our fellow citizens whose fear of being out in public right now is legitimate given the super-funding of ICE.
It's unlikely that there is only one single answer on how to proceed and continue to resist. Please, please try not to further divide us at a time when we need to take care of each other. I would like to be able to hope that those who feel as you do are still on my side of this struggle.
You know what? I appreciate you taking the time to sit with this. I do. That’s rare, and it tells me you’re here for the fight...not just the feelings. So first, let me say this...I’m not here to tell you that your grief isn’t real. I don’t get to measure your tears...and I wouldn’t try.
But here’s where I’ll gently push back.
There’s a difference between having feelings and following feelings. Grief...fear, anger...they come. We don’t always invite them in. But the critical mistake is when we start building a chair for them at the strategy table.
When we start giving those feelings a vote on what we do next.
The problem isn’t the emotion. The problem is the loyalty to the emotion. And that is far more common and pervasive than you might think.
And you’re right—there are many ways to process feelings. But we’ve got to be brutally honest about this: some ways are productive. Some are paralyzing. And some...whether we mean to or not, drag others into paralysis with us.
When we grieve so publicly that it becomes the dominant language of our movement...even just "for a day"...we’re teaching people to get comfortable with losing.
We’re teaching people to accept defeat as a normal part of life. I know you don’t want that. I don’t want that either.
Yes, there’s real fear about being in public spaces right now. Absolutely. That’s not imaginary. But, then again...you probably know that's not what I was talking about.
I posted, "Have an enjoyable 4th," and some replied, "There's no reason to celebrate/be thankful/happy today." And that...was...and still is...ridiculous nonsense. That's what this article referenced.
But even those people need us to model strength. They need to see that not everyone is frozen. That some of us will keep marching...keep celebrating...keep pushing...not because we don’t feel the danger, but because we refuse to let that danger dictate our posture.
You said you hope we’re on the same side. That seems an odd concern for you to have. Especially if you've read a fair deal of my work. If pointing out uncomfortable truths is an indicator of possibly not being "on your side," then I can think of many great leaders in the world whom we should all probably be skeptical of.
That's what good leaders do. And they are as few as they are...because most people are too damn uncomfortable...saying things that others might feel uncomfortable about...but that they absolutely need to know in order to perform at their best.
Sometimes...and this is one of them....the best thing you can do for your side is challenge it to stop folding when it should be fighting.
That’s what I’m doing here.
And I say this with complete respect: I’d rather risk making people uncomfortable than risk teaching them to sit down. Always. Every day...and twice on Sunday.
One last thing...because I think it's important: No one is "Grieving" yesterday's passage of the Bill. They just think they are. Why do I say that?
Because as of now...not a soul has lost anything because of the bill. Nothing.
Oh, it's coming...for damn sure...and it's going to likely be worse when we get there...than most believe it will...but for some things...it will be weeks before a real loss occurs. For other things...months. And...for some...years. When they've been stripped away...and are no longer available...then those things are "dead," "gone," or "lost."
In truth, regarding what the Trump's "Big Shitty Bill" hammers all to hell...any "grief" being experienced...is anticipatory grief. And here's why that should be seen as just as problematic to the fight for democracy...as it is.
Anticipatory grief is when people start grieving for something that hasn't even happened yet. It’s a fear-driven rehearsal of loss. People imagine what might/will happen...what they will lose...later...and they start grieving it...in advance....as if it's already happening now.
The problem?
Anticipatory grief is a self-inflicted psychological wound. I
It paralyzes action before the threat even arrives. (I've already seen evidence of that happening)
It’s like showing up to a fight already telling yourself you’ve lost.
It burns time...energy...and focus that should be spent planning...building...and moving forward. Becoming more resilient...always...is paramount—anticipatory grief...cripples...unnecessarily.
In short: Anticipatory grief serves no one.
It doesn’t prevent bad outcomes.
It doesn’t prepare you to win.
It drains the fuel you need to fight.
It’s a cousin of defeatism...disguised as emotional readiness.
When people camp out in anticipatory grief...they’re pre-losing the battle.
They start retreating from life before the fight’s even fully underway. And that sends a message...whether they mean to or not...that others should slow down...sit out...or start preparing for doom too.
That’s a message no movement can afford to send. No way. No how. Not if we're serious about saving this runaway train.
People are more sensitive now, in many cases, due to fear. That is not the time for me to back off, "soften," or otherwise alter my message. No...quite the opposite...and I learned that over three decades...and hundreds of clients...and thousands of hours.
The majority of the people who subscribe (as paid subscribers) to JHN...want it exactly how I'm delivering it. It's what attracted them in the first place. You can get information anywhere. People know, though... how they need it packaged..to do for them what they need it to.
The people who have been here for the two years next month that this newsletter has been in existence...are here because they like the packaging. For them, the packaging is everything. The same information delivered any other way...would bore the hell out of them...and, thus...be of little value to them.
Those who don't.like it packaged that way....very few of them ever subscribe to this newsletter in the first place. They choose gentler newsletters...and kudos to them...for knowing what they like and need.
I screen most of those people out on social media. I'm WAY more "rough" on social media. Why? Because here at JHN, I want people who can have authentic, real conversations...without having their feelings hurt every time someone disagrees with them, or says something they don't like...and don't yet know is true...but is.
Nothing like the exchange you and I are having would take place very often if I were so "pleasant" with the people who complain...but never comment with substance....and unload with, "You're an asshole!" lol....sticking to their ego defended position...even after it has been debunked...if everyone wanted to subscribe to JHN.
The integrity and environment of our tribe over here...would...well... become like that of social media; many unreliable...finnicky...and bots/shit stirrers only dropping in an out of conversations...and having no interest at all in contributing or learning. In other words...a hellscape.
So, social media screens those we don't want here..who have no interest in learning or contributing anything useful. Then, the next step, as it were, is the paid subscriber step. This weeds out the “Lookie-lous”....the sideline gawkers.
They're checking things out...but not yet committed...just looking. Perhaps they're a good fit... perhaps not. Some will become paid subscribers. Now they are invested...and people like that...and YOU...who are invested...are the difference that makes the difference in conversations.
These are the people who get things done. These are the people who engage in 10 action steps...while everyone else is pondering whether they should even start...one.
People who have a dog in the fight — and if you're a paid subscriber, you've got a dog in the fight — are what create tight-knit communities. That's nothing new. It's been that way since people were riding chariots into the Colosseum.
You're one of those people. You're committed...and not afraid to voice your opinion and engage in some "banter." And...you are able to do so...without allowing your emotions to take over...and engage...allowing others to learn from you...me...and the conversation that we're having. That is very common in paid subscribers. VERY.
Thank you for that, Kelley. (and I damn near write "Kelli" every time...because that's how my sisters name is spelled.)
My sister and I celebrated the 4th by reviewing our ancestors connections to the fight against tyranny. We have found that some fought at Bunker Hill, others fought at Lexington-Concord so we celebrated their courage and reminded ourselves that you never give up and you continue the fight not only for the ones who came before but generations to come. Thank you for your powerful words.
You just made my day, Deborah. That’s the kind of celebration that actually means something...digging into your roots and finding that your bloodline stood toe-to-toe with tyranny at places like Bunker Hill and Lexington-Concord? That’s not just history..that’s a damn torch being handed to you.
And you nailed it...you don’t give up. You keep swinging. You fight for the ones who came before you...and you fight for the ones who aren’t here yet. That’s the real Fourth of July. That’s the fire we need. I’m proud to be in this fight alongside people like you.
BTW, In the earlier morning hours (2:00-3:00 am) I was also doing ancestry work! I am a bit obsessed with it. ;)
Well, Jack, I put up the flag I put up every fucking day my son was in Bush's war. And the house survived WW3 last night. I need a break here and there, but am in this fight for the long haul. Cause we have to be.
Fantastic! I tip my hat to your son and his service, Greg.
I'm glad you brought up the topic of "rest."
On the topic of rest. I talk about it all the time in JHN because it’s essential. We all need it. We must take it. Real rest is how we rebuild the fire. You get that.
But what I kept seeing yesterday was people throwing around the word “grieving” like it’s some kind of rest. And I wanted to jump on that fast—because bad ideas spread like wildfire. If you don’t stop them quick...or try to....they take root...and suddenly people who were fighting every damn day start thinking there’s merit in grieving instead.
That’s how movements get stalled. That’s how fire gets snuffed out.
I’ve watched this before...one wrong-headed...emotionally appealing idea goes viral...and next thing you know, you’ve got “Grieving Circles” popping up everywhere...turning would-be fighters into permanent mourners. I’ve seen it wreck good people and sink good movements.
Rest and grief are not the same.
Rest restores. Grief depletes.
Rest builds your reserves. Grief drains them.
It’s not even in the same neighborhood.
Restorative rest is designed to replenish energy, restore clarity, and rebuild your ability to act.
Grief—especially when prolonged or deeply immersive...is emotionally draining, mentally taxing, and can actually sap energy rather than restore it.
Grief often depletes rather than replenishes. It can freeze people in place...prolong emotional exhaustion..and stall forward motion.
Grief might eventually lead to growth if processed well...but it is not the same thing as purposeful rest that rebuilds strength.
Took my family to our local 4th of July Parade. Our 3 y/o granddaughter got a pretty big kick out of waving the little American Flag they gave her and we got a pretty big kick out of watching her! I get how defeated people are feeling right now - I am too. But dammit - MAGA does not own the 4th of July, MAGA does not own “the libs” (me) and MAGA certainly does not own the American Flag! It felt good to put politics aside for moment and celebrate the holiday w/ family and community. Now, time to get back on that horse!
You know what, Pam? That’s exactly the kind of fire I love to see. You’re right...MAGA doesn’t own the 4th of July. They don’t own the flag. And they sure as hell don’t own us. They only own what we surrender...and you didn’t surrender a damn thing.
That image of your granddaughter proudly waving that flag? That’s the America I love. That’s the future. And you bet...it feels good to celebrate with family and community because that’s what we’re fighting for. I say again: That...is what we are fighting for.
Trump would love an America where only MAGA is allowed to celebrate the 4th...you can bet on that.
Now you nailed it... take that moment...soak it in...nd then get back on the horse. Because we’ve got work to do and quitting isn’t on the menu. I’m glad you’re in this fight with me.
Words to help us ring The Liberty Bell for! We are the reason. We are the purpose. We all can do something, anything. Call, write, encourage, assist others, help those that are directly impacted. Continue to be the resistance. Resistance is active. You must move! Happy Fourth!
Those are powerful words, Jo. Resistance IS alive. And a happy belated 4th...so you!
Thank you, Jack Hopkins!
Jack, Glad you are here to give some of us a kick in the ass. I was ambivalent about the 4th until I realized what it stands for. Not the fireworks or the beer, but the grit and determination of the ones who fought, bled and died to salvage something they knew was worth saving. And God knows it wasn't easy for them. But they soldiered on even when it was tough, inconvenient, cold and disease-ridden. Sounds familiar, Huh?
Do we want to go through this? Not really. Must we? Only if we want our freedom and democracy back. Maybe not for ourselves; perhaps some of us may not live to see the tide turn. But our children, grandchildren and their children will. And maybe, just maybe, they will do fireworks and beer to celebrate the bravery of their ancestors, who stood in the trenches and gave everything for enduring freedom.
Sorry for the sermonizing. And yes, I listened to fireworks for an hour last night. An uplifting experience. Tonight there will be more. And beer.
You know what? I love this. And I’ll tell you why...because you get it. You’ve locked into the real meaning here. You found it yourself.
This...it’s about grit. It’s about people who fought when it was miserable...inconvenient... and flat-out terrifying. And you’re right...it sounds familiar because that’s exactly where we are now. This isn’t the fight we asked for...but it’s the fight we’ve got.
And I’ll tell you this...you never have to apologize for "sermonizing" when you’re reminding people why the hell we’re still standing here.
( In fact...you can even tell me, "Go to hell, Jack!" when you feel like it lol. My skin is thick...But I also enjoy some banter as much as the next person. Sometimes..we all need to let some pressure out of the cooker. So have at me...any time!)
Your grandkids are going to light those fireworks because folks like you didn’t quit. And damn it...Jan...I’ll raise a beer to that! :)
Jan, you are a wonderful writer! I read your post over and over. Thank you for sharing your words with us all. ☺️
I second that, Marie!
Oh, Marie, thank you for your kind words. It's those like you and Jack that give me hope when hope seems scarce. Press on!
My husband and I observe the Fourth every year by watching our purloined DVD of "Hamilton". Almost three hours of Lin-Manuel Miranda's masterpiece reminding us that we have a Republic, if we can keep it, and we're not throwing away our shot. IYKYK
What a cool way to celebrate. Wow...you've lit my brain up with some ideas for a future newsletter, Marie! (I'll be sure and give you credit...thank you!)
Thank you, Jack! My friend Jan Moon and I follow you. Reading JHN is the highlight of our days. 😊
Thank you Jack, you always make me feel more empowered! Hoping more people will see the power they have.. Happy 4th of July
You’re welcome, Kelly. And let me tell you...I love how you said that: “Hoping more people will see the power THEY HAVE.” Bingo. That’s the whole damn ballgame right there.
Funny thing is, some of the people who’ve taught me the most in life? They were the ones I wanted to throw hands with. I mean it...I wanted to fight them..lol. That’s how much I hated that they were poking holes in what I believed. I didn’t hate them...I hated that they made me look at what was holding up my thinking...and realizing it was rickety as hell.
Nobody likes to find out they’ve been wrong for years. I hated it in my twenties. I hated it in my thirties.
But something changed. Over time...I realized the things that were making my life better...were the same things I once wanted to scrap with someone over. I wanted to fight the very thing that would later save my ass.
Now? I salivate over being wrong. You know why? Because it means I’m standing right in front of something new. Something better. Something more useful than the garbage I’ve been dragging around.
That’s the secret weapon. Winners don’t cling to being right. They chase what’s better. Even if they have to bleed ...and maybe feel embarrassed...or like an ass...to get there.
Happy belated 4th to YOU...as well.
I suppose that I see another POV, which is that not all grief and fear is performative. Some of it is simply...actual grief, or actual fear. I have a great deal of respect for the wide range of ways we have of processing our feelings.
I am definitely your target audience and am sitting with the discomfort of what you've said. You may well be right that my numb, zombie, tears-running-down my cheeks-that-I-cannot-control experience of yesterday and today is weak, but unfortunately I do have my fair share of human weaknesses. It sounds as if your reaction to certain stimuli may just be different than mine.
We would both do well to also remember that there's a massive subset of our fellow citizens whose fear of being out in public right now is legitimate given the super-funding of ICE.
It's unlikely that there is only one single answer on how to proceed and continue to resist. Please, please try not to further divide us at a time when we need to take care of each other. I would like to be able to hope that those who feel as you do are still on my side of this struggle.
You know what? I appreciate you taking the time to sit with this. I do. That’s rare, and it tells me you’re here for the fight...not just the feelings. So first, let me say this...I’m not here to tell you that your grief isn’t real. I don’t get to measure your tears...and I wouldn’t try.
But here’s where I’ll gently push back.
There’s a difference between having feelings and following feelings. Grief...fear, anger...they come. We don’t always invite them in. But the critical mistake is when we start building a chair for them at the strategy table.
When we start giving those feelings a vote on what we do next.
The problem isn’t the emotion. The problem is the loyalty to the emotion. And that is far more common and pervasive than you might think.
And you’re right—there are many ways to process feelings. But we’ve got to be brutally honest about this: some ways are productive. Some are paralyzing. And some...whether we mean to or not, drag others into paralysis with us.
When we grieve so publicly that it becomes the dominant language of our movement...even just "for a day"...we’re teaching people to get comfortable with losing.
We’re teaching people to accept defeat as a normal part of life. I know you don’t want that. I don’t want that either.
Yes, there’s real fear about being in public spaces right now. Absolutely. That’s not imaginary. But, then again...you probably know that's not what I was talking about.
I posted, "Have an enjoyable 4th," and some replied, "There's no reason to celebrate/be thankful/happy today." And that...was...and still is...ridiculous nonsense. That's what this article referenced.
But even those people need us to model strength. They need to see that not everyone is frozen. That some of us will keep marching...keep celebrating...keep pushing...not because we don’t feel the danger, but because we refuse to let that danger dictate our posture.
You said you hope we’re on the same side. That seems an odd concern for you to have. Especially if you've read a fair deal of my work. If pointing out uncomfortable truths is an indicator of possibly not being "on your side," then I can think of many great leaders in the world whom we should all probably be skeptical of.
That's what good leaders do. And they are as few as they are...because most people are too damn uncomfortable...saying things that others might feel uncomfortable about...but that they absolutely need to know in order to perform at their best.
Sometimes...and this is one of them....the best thing you can do for your side is challenge it to stop folding when it should be fighting.
That’s what I’m doing here.
And I say this with complete respect: I’d rather risk making people uncomfortable than risk teaching them to sit down. Always. Every day...and twice on Sunday.
One last thing...because I think it's important: No one is "Grieving" yesterday's passage of the Bill. They just think they are. Why do I say that?
Because as of now...not a soul has lost anything because of the bill. Nothing.
Oh, it's coming...for damn sure...and it's going to likely be worse when we get there...than most believe it will...but for some things...it will be weeks before a real loss occurs. For other things...months. And...for some...years. When they've been stripped away...and are no longer available...then those things are "dead," "gone," or "lost."
In truth, regarding what the Trump's "Big Shitty Bill" hammers all to hell...any "grief" being experienced...is anticipatory grief. And here's why that should be seen as just as problematic to the fight for democracy...as it is.
Anticipatory grief is when people start grieving for something that hasn't even happened yet. It’s a fear-driven rehearsal of loss. People imagine what might/will happen...what they will lose...later...and they start grieving it...in advance....as if it's already happening now.
The problem?
Anticipatory grief is a self-inflicted psychological wound. I
It paralyzes action before the threat even arrives. (I've already seen evidence of that happening)
It’s like showing up to a fight already telling yourself you’ve lost.
It burns time...energy...and focus that should be spent planning...building...and moving forward. Becoming more resilient...always...is paramount—anticipatory grief...cripples...unnecessarily.
In short: Anticipatory grief serves no one.
It doesn’t prevent bad outcomes.
It doesn’t prepare you to win.
It drains the fuel you need to fight.
It’s a cousin of defeatism...disguised as emotional readiness.
When people camp out in anticipatory grief...they’re pre-losing the battle.
They start retreating from life before the fight’s even fully underway. And that sends a message...whether they mean to or not...that others should slow down...sit out...or start preparing for doom too.
That’s a message no movement can afford to send. No way. No how. Not if we're serious about saving this runaway train.
People are more sensitive now, in many cases, due to fear. That is not the time for me to back off, "soften," or otherwise alter my message. No...quite the opposite...and I learned that over three decades...and hundreds of clients...and thousands of hours.
The majority of the people who subscribe (as paid subscribers) to JHN...want it exactly how I'm delivering it. It's what attracted them in the first place. You can get information anywhere. People know, though... how they need it packaged..to do for them what they need it to.
The people who have been here for the two years next month that this newsletter has been in existence...are here because they like the packaging. For them, the packaging is everything. The same information delivered any other way...would bore the hell out of them...and, thus...be of little value to them.
Those who don't.like it packaged that way....very few of them ever subscribe to this newsletter in the first place. They choose gentler newsletters...and kudos to them...for knowing what they like and need.
I screen most of those people out on social media. I'm WAY more "rough" on social media. Why? Because here at JHN, I want people who can have authentic, real conversations...without having their feelings hurt every time someone disagrees with them, or says something they don't like...and don't yet know is true...but is.
Nothing like the exchange you and I are having would take place very often if I were so "pleasant" with the people who complain...but never comment with substance....and unload with, "You're an asshole!" lol....sticking to their ego defended position...even after it has been debunked...if everyone wanted to subscribe to JHN.
The integrity and environment of our tribe over here...would...well... become like that of social media; many unreliable...finnicky...and bots/shit stirrers only dropping in an out of conversations...and having no interest at all in contributing or learning. In other words...a hellscape.
So, social media screens those we don't want here..who have no interest in learning or contributing anything useful. Then, the next step, as it were, is the paid subscriber step. This weeds out the “Lookie-lous”....the sideline gawkers.
They're checking things out...but not yet committed...just looking. Perhaps they're a good fit... perhaps not. Some will become paid subscribers. Now they are invested...and people like that...and YOU...who are invested...are the difference that makes the difference in conversations.
These are the people who get things done. These are the people who engage in 10 action steps...while everyone else is pondering whether they should even start...one.
People who have a dog in the fight — and if you're a paid subscriber, you've got a dog in the fight — are what create tight-knit communities. That's nothing new. It's been that way since people were riding chariots into the Colosseum.
You're one of those people. You're committed...and not afraid to voice your opinion and engage in some "banter." And...you are able to do so...without allowing your emotions to take over...and engage...allowing others to learn from you...me...and the conversation that we're having. That is very common in paid subscribers. VERY.
Thank you for that, Kelley. (and I damn near write "Kelli" every time...because that's how my sisters name is spelled.)
Well said Kelley. I’m Canadian, and today I grieve with you, but TOMORROW ⁉️ I’m back in the fight again.
Glad to hear it.
My sister and I celebrated the 4th by reviewing our ancestors connections to the fight against tyranny. We have found that some fought at Bunker Hill, others fought at Lexington-Concord so we celebrated their courage and reminded ourselves that you never give up and you continue the fight not only for the ones who came before but generations to come. Thank you for your powerful words.
You just made my day, Deborah. That’s the kind of celebration that actually means something...digging into your roots and finding that your bloodline stood toe-to-toe with tyranny at places like Bunker Hill and Lexington-Concord? That’s not just history..that’s a damn torch being handed to you.
And you nailed it...you don’t give up. You keep swinging. You fight for the ones who came before you...and you fight for the ones who aren’t here yet. That’s the real Fourth of July. That’s the fire we need. I’m proud to be in this fight alongside people like you.
BTW, In the earlier morning hours (2:00-3:00 am) I was also doing ancestry work! I am a bit obsessed with it. ;)
Well, Jack, I put up the flag I put up every fucking day my son was in Bush's war. And the house survived WW3 last night. I need a break here and there, but am in this fight for the long haul. Cause we have to be.
Fantastic! I tip my hat to your son and his service, Greg.
I'm glad you brought up the topic of "rest."
On the topic of rest. I talk about it all the time in JHN because it’s essential. We all need it. We must take it. Real rest is how we rebuild the fire. You get that.
But what I kept seeing yesterday was people throwing around the word “grieving” like it’s some kind of rest. And I wanted to jump on that fast—because bad ideas spread like wildfire. If you don’t stop them quick...or try to....they take root...and suddenly people who were fighting every damn day start thinking there’s merit in grieving instead.
That’s how movements get stalled. That’s how fire gets snuffed out.
I’ve watched this before...one wrong-headed...emotionally appealing idea goes viral...and next thing you know, you’ve got “Grieving Circles” popping up everywhere...turning would-be fighters into permanent mourners. I’ve seen it wreck good people and sink good movements.
Rest and grief are not the same.
Rest restores. Grief depletes.
Rest builds your reserves. Grief drains them.
It’s not even in the same neighborhood.
Restorative rest is designed to replenish energy, restore clarity, and rebuild your ability to act.
Grief—especially when prolonged or deeply immersive...is emotionally draining, mentally taxing, and can actually sap energy rather than restore it.
Grief often depletes rather than replenishes. It can freeze people in place...prolong emotional exhaustion..and stall forward motion.
Grief might eventually lead to growth if processed well...but it is not the same thing as purposeful rest that rebuilds strength.
Took my family to our local 4th of July Parade. Our 3 y/o granddaughter got a pretty big kick out of waving the little American Flag they gave her and we got a pretty big kick out of watching her! I get how defeated people are feeling right now - I am too. But dammit - MAGA does not own the 4th of July, MAGA does not own “the libs” (me) and MAGA certainly does not own the American Flag! It felt good to put politics aside for moment and celebrate the holiday w/ family and community. Now, time to get back on that horse!
You know what, Pam? That’s exactly the kind of fire I love to see. You’re right...MAGA doesn’t own the 4th of July. They don’t own the flag. And they sure as hell don’t own us. They only own what we surrender...and you didn’t surrender a damn thing.
That image of your granddaughter proudly waving that flag? That’s the America I love. That’s the future. And you bet...it feels good to celebrate with family and community because that’s what we’re fighting for. I say again: That...is what we are fighting for.
Trump would love an America where only MAGA is allowed to celebrate the 4th...you can bet on that.
Now you nailed it... take that moment...soak it in...nd then get back on the horse. Because we’ve got work to do and quitting isn’t on the menu. I’m glad you’re in this fight with me.
"move the ball forward" One must keep asking one's self, In what direction am I moving that ball. Even just a little bit.
You packaged dynamite in that short comment, Greg!
I needed this pep talk today!