Great story Matt. I appreciate you differentiating the work vis a vis the Democratic Party, because it is NOT where it needs to be. I for one can't work within the IDP because it is a monolith that refuses to change. But I AM committed to raising our issues and demanding answers from individual candidates before they get my support. I think it's a good sign (so far) that at least two US Senate candidates have declared they're not taking corporate PAC money.
Four full time endeavors shaved into manageable chunks of time? This is what patriotism, honorable work and sleep deprivation looks like. Take notice readers, because it’s also the required ingredients for a successful resistance movement. The Surgeon General’s report last year found that loneliness was another epidemic in America. Matt makes the case that nobody needs to be lonely, there’s too much work to do and we all need each other.
Well said Peter! If there is a consistent theme I'm seeing all over rural Iowa, progressives (old and new) are coming together and there is joy in their shared resistance.
Not only is this a terrific metaphor for where we are right now, it's a great story. As a town kid (albeit a town of just 200 people), I was not driving a tractor at age 9! Nor was I pulling wagons during my junior high years. As for the metaphor, I agree. Our country is wobbling right now. MAGA is changing what we expect and tolerate from government. A few weeks back, a liberal journalist on Fox News called out Trump for his corruption. The conservatives on the panel claimed it wasn't corruption because Trump isn't trying to hide it. That's what we are up against. Thanks for trying to lead this fight.
There are no special super powers right now. Whatever anyone's got, that's what we need. It's all hands on deck, behind the wheel, on social media, at the protest, in front of candidates. We have to be everything everywhere all at once as a group. But individually, just do what you can do and trust that enough of us will do so and it will be enough!
I have never, even in my old age, felt comfortable pulling two wagons full of grain at once. Because of what you said. Thank for this great story about what you do and why you do it (including thoughts about what we can do, too).
In my email, your column came in right after mine posted. I celebrated that we both published stories of youth and operating equipment at essentially the same time. Popping the link here for anyone who wants to read a great story about Jim's youth and the family tractor he still has. https://substack.com/@jimsayers/p-166663387
I look forward to successfully reclaiming our democracy so we can hear more of your "stories about farmers, ranchers, and rural communities" as well as "growing up with amazing public school teachers." Reading your work I'm commonly transported back to my own youth; this one in particular brought up a lot of memories.
Glad to trigger memories. Hopefully good ones. We have so much collective memory to celebrate. And of course some collective memory to atone for. Flipping what we celebrate and what we should atone for has been MAGA's theory of change. It will only work if we let it because the majority of us are not on board with this change.
Great story Matt. I appreciate you differentiating the work vis a vis the Democratic Party, because it is NOT where it needs to be. I for one can't work within the IDP because it is a monolith that refuses to change. But I AM committed to raising our issues and demanding answers from individual candidates before they get my support. I think it's a good sign (so far) that at least two US Senate candidates have declared they're not taking corporate PAC money.
Agree. And there are lots of good signs out there!
Four full time endeavors shaved into manageable chunks of time? This is what patriotism, honorable work and sleep deprivation looks like. Take notice readers, because it’s also the required ingredients for a successful resistance movement. The Surgeon General’s report last year found that loneliness was another epidemic in America. Matt makes the case that nobody needs to be lonely, there’s too much work to do and we all need each other.
Well said Peter! If there is a consistent theme I'm seeing all over rural Iowa, progressives (old and new) are coming together and there is joy in their shared resistance.
Not only is this a terrific metaphor for where we are right now, it's a great story. As a town kid (albeit a town of just 200 people), I was not driving a tractor at age 9! Nor was I pulling wagons during my junior high years. As for the metaphor, I agree. Our country is wobbling right now. MAGA is changing what we expect and tolerate from government. A few weeks back, a liberal journalist on Fox News called out Trump for his corruption. The conservatives on the panel claimed it wasn't corruption because Trump isn't trying to hide it. That's what we are up against. Thanks for trying to lead this fight.
There are no special super powers right now. Whatever anyone's got, that's what we need. It's all hands on deck, behind the wheel, on social media, at the protest, in front of candidates. We have to be everything everywhere all at once as a group. But individually, just do what you can do and trust that enough of us will do so and it will be enough!
I have never, even in my old age, felt comfortable pulling two wagons full of grain at once. Because of what you said. Thank for this great story about what you do and why you do it (including thoughts about what we can do, too).
In my email, your column came in right after mine posted. I celebrated that we both published stories of youth and operating equipment at essentially the same time. Popping the link here for anyone who wants to read a great story about Jim's youth and the family tractor he still has. https://substack.com/@jimsayers/p-166663387
I look forward to successfully reclaiming our democracy so we can hear more of your "stories about farmers, ranchers, and rural communities" as well as "growing up with amazing public school teachers." Reading your work I'm commonly transported back to my own youth; this one in particular brought up a lot of memories.
Glad to trigger memories. Hopefully good ones. We have so much collective memory to celebrate. And of course some collective memory to atone for. Flipping what we celebrate and what we should atone for has been MAGA's theory of change. It will only work if we let it because the majority of us are not on board with this change.