I struggled writing this week's newsletter because I wanted to say something about recent events, yet I felt like I was dancing on eggshells. It is a very delicate time for many people, and I certainly don't want to say anything that might hurt someone who is already hurting. Myself included! So instead, I will say this: if you need someone to talk to, please reach out. We are all in this together, and we will get through it together.
I am going to include a link to a video by Russel Brand, who is mostly known as a comedian, but more recently as a public activist on YouTube. I respect Russel Brand's approach to addressing his audience about the Uvalde school attack, which recognizes that people will inevitably disagree on how to respond to today's issues. Still, we all want an end to the madness when it comes down to it. So instead of getting wrapped up in the fighting, we should focus on what we can agree on.
I think that's an excellent point. No matter what side of the fence you're on, we all want things to get better. And I think the only way they will is if we work together. The failure to act is probably the only genuinely irresponsible response. We owe it to our children and the children affected by these tragedies to fix the problem.
You all know that I love fantasy; I read comic books and children's books regularly. I write and illustrate them--yet, I am aware that there are no heroes. There is not one person who will save you or anyone else, and you will not save anyone by yourself either. It is just a fantasy. I think that is an essential understanding because we need to recognize the reality of the solutions we will have to take to fix our problems.
We need to be the heroes of our own lives. We need to take action for ourselves. We need to be the ones who bear responsibility for ourselves and each other. Only then can we hope to make the world a better place. One person won't save anyone, but a community of people focusing on a single cause will save millions in time.
I'll end with a quote from Martin Luther King Jr., "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."
I think that is so important right now. We need to focus on the light and love if we want to make any progress. Thank you for reading, and I hope you have a safe week.
