One

e

— 2 min read
Sunrise over neighborhood with trees silhouetted against an orange and blue sky.
Sunrise over neighborhood with trees silhouetted against an orange and blue sky.
“At the end of the day people won't remember what you said or did, they will remember how you made them feel.” ― Maya Angelou

First, for all those in the LA area and those who love people there, I want to acknowledge that what is happening is horrifying. Words are inadequate. May you be safe, may you be loved, may you be supported.

Good morning, 

It's been a while. 

The other day a friend asked me about these emails and said she missed them. It was at a moment when I was missing them as well. 

I've thought about starting them again many times, so why now? Well, we are pretty f**d, and we are about to be pretty more f**d. And I firmly believe that our only hope is each other - to help us get through and, maybe even, plant the seeds for something beautiful along the way, a different way of being in the world. Writing these helps me stay grounded and connected to that idea.

As with any existential (and material) disaster preparedness, I hope you have the stuff you need - ways to get your basic needs met; a community of people who can help you stay afloat, hold you in your grief and anger, help remind you of (and help you add to) the joy and beauty that continues to exist alongside the horrors; and a plan for how you will help. 

I'm going to start with something that I'm working on with this local group about community protection and how we can prepare to show up for each other. Our first effort is conducting a training for our folks on bystander intervention. 

Did you know about the bystander effect? The more people who are present in a difficult situation the less likely it is that someone will help. We all think someone else will do it, and then nobody does. Let's not recreate that cycle.

It's hard to know what to do in those situations, and it might not always feel safe. There are some pretty basic ways to help that don't include directly confronting people. https://righttobe.org/guides/bystander-intervention-training/

We are not alone. Together we get through this - whatever this turns out to be. 

love, e

[originally written 1.10.2025]

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