For nearly a decade, I’ve been writing about how we can live more sustainable, eco-friendly lives, especially with kids. Through increasingly divisive battles about the “right” ways to move forward, we always come back to strong and resilient communities propelled by conversation, collective action, grace, and cooperation. I’d love for you to subscribe to the newsletter and join a thoughtful conversation on climate action and building community through connection and civic engagement as sage neighbors.
be the changemaker in your community
|
Enough is enough. Or shall I say, enough is enough is enough is enough. What are we doing??! Where are we headed? 😵💫 The world is changing (some might say collapsing). The climate - political, environmental, and community - is scorched. Someone needs to put out the fire. Why not you and me? 🫵🏻 This is the renewed focus of Sage Neighbor. it’s falling apart Things we once took for granted no longer seem reliable. Safe homes in a predictable climate. Democracy. (Mostly) equal rights for women. Access to truth. Commitment to science. Connection and collective resilience with neighbors, regardless of their political, religious, or ideological beliefs. They’re all disappearing. Society progressed for most of our lives; prosperity seemed inevitable. And then it didn’t. It’s time to show up and be the impetus for change; it starts in our towns and social groups. Sage Neighbor is a call to action and a community for those who’ve had enough of the bullsh*t. If we want a future of fair and functional government, clean air and water, a planet that’s not on fire, and communities not riddled with vitriol and hate, we need to start the cleanup in our neighborhoods. We can be wise. We can be green. We can be builders, creators, and advocates. We can be sage neighbors. We can collaborate through conversation and civic engagement to heal our planet and build more resilient communities for the bumpy road ahead. One of the best ways to accomplish this is to get to know and listen to our neighbors, family, and friends about complex topics. We won’t always reach agreements or change minds by the end of every conversation, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t worth having. Let’s bring together those of us ready to roll up our sleeves and be the community builders, collective action leaders, and civic engagement supporters in our neck of the woods. We can’t just watch the destroyers destroy; we can protect and rebuild. And we’re stronger when we do it together. Connect with others ready to rebuild community, advocate for collective action, and spark civic engagement to shape the future. Cleaning up this mess starts in our communities. Let’s do this together! hard work worth doing Life feels hectic. I get it. Believe me, I do! We don’t have time to do everything to improve our community. But as a nation, most of us have abdicated our role as engaged participants in our democracy. An uninformed and disengaged public hollows out our democracy and leaves it in the hands of a few extremists. I’m of a generation that has only known relative national prosperity and a government that worked well for most of us. I bet you are, too. We’ve become complacent about fulfilling our duty as active citizens in a democratic society. But… Have you seen Washington lately??! 🙄 We’re running out of runway to be asleep at the wheel. On a climate podcast regarding housing affordability and accessibility, the guest made an astute observation. He said: “If you’re freaked out about national politics… go down to City Hall and get involved because you would be shocked by the number of very consequential decisions that are being made in your city that will have a much more immediate effect on your life than anything that’s happening in Washington, DC. And in fact, I would argue that a lot of the explanation for what’s happening in Washington, DC, is the degree to which people have completely checked out of local politics and don’t know why their city looks the way it does.” -- Matthew Lewis, on Volts podcast, episode “Why housing is a pass/fail question for climate change” I implore each of us to be part of building a stronger, more civically engaged culture and society by starting at home. Let’s make Sage Neighbor a space where those of us doing the work locally can share ideas and experiences, learn from each other, and collaborate to rebuild community in our respective spaces. Let’s do the small things that ignite good changes. Speak up for something. 📢 Do something. Heck, run for something! 🗳️ Be a little bit insufferable and stand for something. Agitators are the ones who drive change. Ready to be part of the revolution where you live? Subscribe to connect with others committed to making our respective communities stronger and more resilient through collective action and civic engagement. Can’t wait to see you there! |
Sage Neighbor | On Building Community
For nearly a decade, I’ve been writing about how we can live more sustainable, eco-friendly lives, especially with kids. Through increasingly divisive battles about the “right” ways to move forward, we always come back to strong and resilient communities propelled by conversation, collective action, grace, and cooperation. I’d love for you to subscribe to the newsletter and join a thoughtful conversation on climate action and building community through connection and civic engagement as sage neighbors.
Back in 2012 (maybe 2013?), I dreamed of getting a Tesla! I was an auditor for a large public accounting firm serving private equity and venture capital funds. I remember sitting in a VC fund client’s office in Palo Alto, California (the heart of Silicon Valley), where he told me about buying one of the first Tesla Model S cars just a few weeks earlier. I was young and had nowhere near enough money to buy one, but I told him I’d love to have one someday. In 2021, I finally drove that Tesla...
Last fall, I'd had enough. 🤬 It started long before the fall, but that was the tipping point (though my frustration continues). I am fed up with the misinformation and disinformation. I have seen enough of flooding the zone with sh*t at the national level that fills (and poisons) the void of limited to no local media in our communities. I am sick of the increasingly repugnant, divisive vitriol and hatred. I loathe that political partisanship waits in the wings of any casual conversation,...
The world is changing. Things we once took for granted don't seem so solid anymore. Safe homes in a predictable climate. Democracy. A government that (generally) follows laws and norms, holds people accountable for bad behavior, and maintains a semblance of order and fairness. (Mostly) equal rights for women. Access to truth. Commitment to science. It's all on its way out the door. As a millennial growing up in the United States, I've only known a world where the systems and social structures...