Merry Christmas 2023
As I have grown older, I have also grown more convinced that our greatest achievements are deeply linked to our efforts to help one another. There are now 8 billion of us on the planet. For most people, in most places, we humans enjoy the safest and most secure (food, shelter, access to healthcare) life experiences in the history of our species.
One would think that all this relative safety might inspire leaders to re-focus attention away from the artificial fears of scarcity they have been drumming up over the years. One possible respite that so many of us will be able to enjoy from the fear/conflict entrepreneurs will be gatherings with our friends and family. In 2023 Torri, our children, and I have been lucky enough to be reunited with our dear friends (family really) the Thorpe’s at their house for Christmas Eve last night.
The joy of this family gathering was all the more special because the Thorpe’s were all here in California (Santa Barbara) after several years of being 9 hours ahead of us living near Copenhagen. It had been eight years since our last such gathering (2015) when we both were still living in Acton, Massachusetts. With special friends, it is like there had been (against all physical evidence) that any time had passed.
Over Thanksgiving this past year, Torri and I were fortunate enough to host many family and extended family at our home in Redwood City. We missed the Weitzel family(State College, PA) and our cousin Jean Hoff (Toronto, ON), but we were able to enjoy the company of all of our children (Rosa, Zachary, and Jason), David and JoAnne Connell aka Grandma and Grandpa ( Bluffton, SC), Kirsten and her children Max and Adam (Acton, MA), Amanda Connell and Aaron Early (Durham, NC), as well as Beth and Ficus Kirkpatrick (Trukee, CA). Our small little house was bursting at the seams with good people, good food, and good times.
This coming New Year’s Day will mark 30 years of marriage for Torri and I. We’ve enjoyed many blessings over our journey together. Our three great children. A warm and loving extended family that (mostly) finds joy and simple pleasure in finding time to get together in person.
We’ve lived in many different places since getting married (Syracuse NY, Acton MA, Nebraska NE, San Diego CA, Saratoga CA (Camp Swig), Mountain View CA, Fremont CA, Acton MA, San Carlos CA, and currently Redwood City CA). Torri and I have in our lifetime also traveled to many different parts of our world. In all of our travels we’ve met wonderful people. An important fact: in most places, most people, simply want to be treated with dignity and respect and want to treat others in the same way. The fear/conflict entrepreneurs work hard to obscure this fact because that’s how they make money.
So, as we gather with loved ones this Christmas Day, it is a good time for reflection. We ought to reflect on and give thanks for the fact that we live in an era that is, for most, the safest in human history. Despite what we often see in the news; and, what is going on in some of the conflict regions; most of humanity is treating each other with unprecedented levels of dignity and respect. This Christmas season, let us remember that the sensationalism often portrayed by media and conflict entrepreneurs does not even come close to representing the reality of our mostly peaceful shared human experience.
In our current era, where information is abundant and often overwhelming, it's crucial to recognize the bias inherent in the news media and other sources of information. These outlets, driven by the need to capture attention, frequently emphasize division and conflict, overshadowing the countless stories of cooperation, kindness, and mutual understanding. This Christmas, let's challenge ourselves to look beyond the headlines and seek out the positive, unifying aspects of our world, reminding ourselves of the goodness and compassion that prevail in our communities.
Moreover, this festive season offers a valuable opportunity to reflect on the timeless wisdom of judging others not by their outward appearances or professed political beliefs, but by the content of their character. Our similarities as humans far outweigh our differences. The joy, love, and goodwill that embody the spirit of Christmas are universal values that transcend all boundaries. Embracing these values helps us to build bridges of understanding and empathy, fostering a world where respect and dignity are the norm.
Lastly, I would hope each of you will join me in committing to viewing the world through a lens of common humanity. Let's remember that each person we encounter, regardless of their background, likely shares in the same hopes, dreams, and desires for peace and happiness. By focusing on what unites us, rather than what divides us, we can overcome the biases and conflicts perpetuated by external forces.
This Christmas, let us renew our faith in humanity and the power of compassion, paving the way for a future where respect and understanding leads to an end of the remaining areas of conflict in our world. With the 2024 election around the corner here in the Untied States we face deeply local challenges as well. The forces aligned to divide us (both foreign and domestic) will be more engaged than ever. The better angels of our nature can prevail if we let them.
Merry Christmas …
Santa Barbara, CA