My brain, here and now, is focused on shutdowns: government shutdowns and emotional shutdowns.
Democrats in the U.S. Senate voted yesterday to avoid a government shutdown. Many people believe that vote will contribute to a disastrous shutdown of more essential services for U.S. citizens as well as isolating the USA from our old allies.
Others believe that a shutdown would have an even more disastrous effect of irrevocably shutting down democracy here.
My emotions tend to shut down when there is so much disagreement, floundering, and lack of leadership during a shutdown crisis.
Here is a partial list of what will not be shut down, no matter what others do or don’t do:
- Creativity
- Empathy
- Courage
- Communication
- Curiosity
- Kindness
- Questions
- Resistance
- Hope
- Thoughts
- Feelings
- Actions
- Love
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This daily blog is also not in shutdown.
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While I may feel momentarily shut down and dumbstruck on Dumbstruck Day, I will still speak up on World Speech Day.
I just finished reading Roger Ebert’s inspiring autobiography, Life Itself. He refuses to shut down, despite cancers’s shutdown of his ability to speak, eat, travel, and engage in life the way he had before.
Here’s what I find on YouTube when I search for “shutdowns.”
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What are your thoughts and feelings about shutdowns?
One more thing that will not shut down: gratitude for YOU.
