Quote of the Day

I grew up hearing over and over, to the point of tedium, that "hard work" was the secret to success. "Work hard and you'll get ahead" or "It's hard work that got us where we are." No one ever said that you could work hard--harder even than you ever thought possible--and still find yourself sinking ever deeper into poverty and debt.

Barbara Ehrenreich

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"I'M GLAD I DID IT....YOU GOTTA HOLLER LOUD, YOU KNOW."

Martin Bordenave (sailor/resister/mutineer) for refusing to load ammunition under unsafe conditions, 8/9/44

WILL THE LEARNING NEVER END?

SOME THINGS I’VE LEARNED WHILE BEING IN ISOLATION (which seems like 915 days)

1.      The grass always looks greener on the other side of the street. But that can change quickly.

2.      Nobody needs a billion dollars. They are lucky I’m not in charge. $25 million would be the limit. The rest would go to universal healthcare, free college, and an assortment of other socialist programs, all of which I'm sure the billionaires would love to fund.

3.      Capitalism is destroying America. The longer I think about it, the stronger my conviction. Many confuse capitalism with democracy. The two are incompatible.

4.      America has become a 3^rd world country with a 4^th world president.

5.      As we set about destroying the Earth, nature has a way of evening the score.

6.      The best book I have seen describing what is going in in Washington is The Shock Doctrine, by Naomi Klein. I’m on my 4^th reading.

7.      John Prine is a national treasure. I hope he can survive the virus.

8.      I understand why isolation is a horrible thing. We use it for discipline in prisons and with prisoners of war. It’s cruel and unusual punishment.

9.      Right when you think you have seen it all, along comes another disaster.

10.   Believing in something greater than ourselves is a must. Church is optional.

11.   Death is something we try to stay away from. Unfortunately, in many instances, so is life.

12.   There are many paths that lead to happiness. If you chose the wrong one, back up and start over.

       

MAGIC

MAGIC: This is the sign that Spirit is reminding you that you co-create your world in a sacred partnership. our part is to dream, to intend, and to watch for the signs that show ou what next action to take. Right now it appears you are on the right track to make our dreams come true. Great Spirit is listening and acting on your behalf! Pay attention. Magic gives birth to miracles.

Alberto Villoldo, Ph.D.

DREAMING GALESBURG INTO THE FUTURE

What could Galesburg become? Our city has been in existence since its founding in 1837, some 183 years ago. A lot has happened here. Colleges have formed and prospered; one (Lombard) floundered during the Depression. Railroads came and became dominant. Slaves came for refuge via the Underground Railroad and boxcar people made their impacts as well. A mental health center grew and was grossly underminded by national policies. In its wake a large prison was built. Large solar arrays are being installed as we write and a new library appears to be on its way.

These are things that have happened here (or soon will). What do you want to happen here? What type of City do you want to live in? Raise your kids in? We want to know. We suspect that others do to.

Why? Well, we firmly believe that such thinking is a necessary precursor for any positive change. Yes, leave your cynicism “inside” and let your dreams come out. We need dreams. We need them now.

You don’t have to start from scratch. Fortunately there have been some important developments over the past year or so that you should keep in mind as you formulate your dreams. For one, the City government had an external consulting firm complete a Comprehensive Plan as well as a Parks & Recreation Master Plan. These two lengthy documents, found on the City’s website (https://www.ci.galesburg.il.us/), contain a lot of very forward-thinking and thought-provoking ideas and should be perused by all residents. In addition, our city was blessed to be a Heart & Soul Community and thus underwent a two-year community-based project to determine its assets and key areas for improvement and innovation. One can find out more about the current state of this work at the Galesburg On Track Facebook page.

While these documents and activities are very important and worth looking at more closely, we definitely know that many people weren’t involved in these efforts (though Heart & Soul tried tirelessly to get as many stakeholders involved as possible). Some have been swamped with work and other personal distractions. Others have been paralyzed by misguided actions or political intransigence at the state or federal level. It is hard to watch TV today and not feel at least a bit powerless. Yet, we can’t afford to become complacent or despondent.

If we want our community to be a certain way, we need to make it happen. We need more resilience in case of climate change or some other challenge. We need more awareness of our true situation (as in hunger, homeless, mental health issues, etc.). We need more accountability in our local leaders. We need more effort. With more “hands-on-deck,” we can build/fix almost any “ship.”

On Wednesday, 6 PM, Feb. 19^th, at the Knox County Brewing Company, we will convene for our sixth Many Paths Galesburg podcast:  Dreaming Galesburg into the Future. We would love input from the members of the community. Now is the time to dream. If not us, who? If not now, when?

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"THERE IS ONLY ONE THING THAT MAKES A DREAM IMPOSSIBLE TO ACHIEVE: THE FEAR OF FAILURE."

Paulo Coelho

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"THERE IS ONLY ONE THING THAT MAKES A DREAM IMPOSSIBLE TO ACHIEVE: THE FEAR OF FAILURE.'

Paulo Coelho

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"MY HOPE IS THAT THIS BOOK PROVOKES A DISCUSSION OF THE GOOD WE HAVE HAD IN COMMON, WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO IT, AND WHAT WE MIGHT DO TO RESTORE IT. PERHAPS THIS BOOK CAN EVEN PROVIDE A MEANS FOR PEOPLE WITH OPPOSING VIEWS TO DEBATE THESE QUESTIONS CIVILLY. MY GOAL IS NOT THAT WE ALL AGREE ON THE COMMON GOOD. IT IS THAT WE GET INTO THE HABIT AND PRACTICE OF THINKING AND TALKING ABOUT IT, AND HEARING ONE ANOTHER'S VIEWS ABOUT IT. THIS ALONE WOULD BE AN ADVANCE."

Robert Reich, "The Common Good"