As you know, if you mentioned your thoughts to a Hopi elder or the Ekhatl medicine people who live along the border, ancient cultures, they would understand your language and experience completely. Out here in the west, your 'learning from horses' is considered by me, and others, as sacred. The challenge always, is to bring it down to earth in useful and often, pragmatic, ways.

dr.e

the last couple of days. . .have noticed a change in what i call the collective energies. . . have never experienced the collective degree of lightness to such degree. . .don't know if i have words to explain it. . . but there is a clearing and freshness. . . it is more than Obama as politician. . .more than the beautiful graciousness of John McCain's concession speak. . . something larger than left or right. . . political. . . Polosi. . .Reed. . .Rice. . .Powell. . .don't think it is about the polarities. . . or who won or who lost. . .but rather a circle of hearts extending around the world with a hope and a prayer for all of us to live from our “better angels”. . .perhaps every increase in collective consciousness emerges from the encounter with abyssal darkness and chaos, but somehow much like pandora's box all that was left was “the audacity of hope”. . .then when the lid was opened the compensating wind of spirit rushed in to fill the darkness leaving light and freshness. . .a freshness that feel like Spring in the pastures with the air filled with the mesquite . . .sage. . .cedar. . .tender young grass. . .from the first gentle rain. . .

maybe i have drank the kool-aid???. . . i may not have the words. . .but something has happened to elevate the collective energies. . . whatever has happened it sure is sweet. . . i believe and perceive a chance for a new beginning. . .

I read about your family's recent loss and send lots of love your way. We are in St Paul MN now and I still miss Denver lots.
Liz

As someone who has worked with elected officials, I've seen the Obama model of inclusive leadership in action, and a skillful, empathetic, intellectually curious person can indeed make it work. I've seen it in action — the person engaged in active listening, sufficiently secure in his own sense of self that he was never threatened or defensive in the face of dissenting opinions. Even if, in the end, my ideas or those of another's were not ultimately adopted, we all felt listened to, understood, respected. That alone is empowering.

Did you see also the Cagle cartoon on TMV last night … it was the statue of Lincoln monument in DC with a smile on his face, slight tears in his eyes. There is a good deal of revisionism about Lincoln– all preesidents really. Hopefully we can weigh the best of other presidents, as well as this newest one one one scale; and the not so hot parts/decosions on another… that we as culture can 'learn maybe not a different way but an expanded way' to evaluate imperfect leaders might be another kind of 'change' that would just up us all a notch in evolution. Wouldnt that be something. Thank you for writing, and warm welcome.

dr.e

Lack of bad faith would go a long long way as suture in our pretty shredded times. I think too, that not starting hot right into the issues leaves lots of room for discussions to be civil and worked out, and not a perpetual call to arms…. not creating more problems of opprobrium and intense dislike between people in addition to the one issue at hand. Not littering up the field by setting off land mines that make the issue discussion nearly tertiary.

dr.e

dr.e

Peace to you and your family.

I think that argument and debate can be hot but civil and respectful. FIght on the issues but don't ever accuse the opponents of fighting in bad faith. That's the right prescription and I'm not sure we're there yet.