I am dedicating this blog to one of the most outstanding of our US Presidents and a hero of mine, Jimmy Carter (10.1.24 - 12.29.24). May he rest in peace and inspire us in his name to carry forward his life-long activism for and commitment to humanism.
At the end of each year a number of us look back at what was important in terms of the personal, professional, political, or artistic. A San Francisco neighborhood online newspaper, the Nob Hill Gazette, today did the same. It features the thoughts of a select number of Bay Area people from different walks of life. Most likely those quoted live in Nob Hill, a privileged neighborhood of the City.
For me, the article was both beneficially provocative - and exasperating.
I’ve heard it said that it’s useful in life to come up against and be challenged by opinions that differ from ours. The same can be said for styles of being, systems of values and ethics, and political persuasions. The benefit to me is that such differences gives me a chance to re-think my values and beliefs. I can then amend them if reason to do so, or crystallize and articulate them more clearly to myself and to others, come what may.
Generally, life is much too short to spend my time, read comments from, or socialize with those espousing anti-humanitarian or anti-feminist and unkind perspectives toward others who differ from them. I found three such instances with which I disagree in today’s Gazette article.
One example comes from the world of futurism.
Inventor Ray Kurzwell speaks on why people are so intrigued by artificial intelligence. He says that people are nervous about the fact that AI “is going to make us smarter” – and that “that’s really the goal of humanity.”
No it’s not.
I don’t want to get smarter. I want to get kinder, more perceptive, more aware of how you and I are feeling and what we are needing in the moment. I want to volunteer more of my time and talents to help women in need. I want to widen my understanding of others, improve my pianism, and move more deeply into feeling through music, and writing and reading poetry. I want to keep learning and growing personally on all levels, not just in my mind.
Moving on to music, another disappointing example comes from Gordon Getty, the composer and member of a famous super-wealthy and privileged family. Speaking of his own abilities and musical compositions, he says that there are some who “don’t think I have paid my dues” (sounds a bit defensive to me; so, has he?). He continues: “but I invite you to ask the opinion of any other composer, whether I know them or not, because they all know my music.”
“All”? I’ll leave you to judge the arrogance or innocence of that statement, but I know how I come down on that matter. In any case, I had not heard of this composer or his compositions until about a week ago.
Amy Tan, the famed author, speaks of her childhood and observing her mother’s behavior, which is also familiar to me. I like her writings, but not her mother's values.
I was raised by parents from blue collar families that had known a lot of economic struggle during the depression. My parents became hooked by that generation's “upwardly mobile” struggle for status and material wealth. Like Tan’s mom and family but perhaps not moving up quite as far, we moved from a small to a larger to a larger home in so-called better and better neighborhoods. I’m sure this role model for my and later generations led to the “entitlement” perspective common today among some or many people, a perspective that they “deserve” to be able to live a higher or better lifestyle than their parents, and also own a bigger home, or a home at all. Personally, I live a lesser lifestyle by choice and circumstance.
Although we know the source, are these privileged expectations just and fair, in view of international, national, and neighborhood poverty, hunger, war, and misery? Have we completely forgotten our social obligation to support others to the best of our ability and according to our means?
Considering the likes of Elon Musk and No. 47, I think the answer is clear.
What is also clear is that I admire the modesty and ethical perspective of Tara VanDerveer, the retired head coach of Stanford women’s basketball team. Her coaching philosophy was nothing short of “hard work.” She says she “was never the best player on any team...or ever the smartest one in the room.” She hired smart people and remained curious and copied great role models.
What she said.
Note what Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco President and CEO Mary C. Daly says about the San Francisco economy: “...it’s going to take scaled up private sector public sector, civil leaders, community leaders, all agreeing not to identify the problems but to collectively fix the problems.” That requires “putting away any differences and asking ‘What can we do collectively to lift this city...and the people who live here?’”
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Perhaps the most effective action those of us with far less public presence and power than those quoted above can take individually, is to ask ourselves the same questions that Ms. Daly asks.
How can we fix the problems? I would add, in our "fixing", how can we resist the return of this country to antiquated anti-humanist values, policies and programs that will be forthcoming after No 47 is inaugurated on January 20?
While “Rome” wasn’t built in a day, it was undoubtedly started by just one brick of activism and speaking out - a brick laid in the ground and not thrown at someone else!
I recently chose one of my personal, foundational bricks for the New Year, described in my newest poem below.
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Upon Completing my First Volunteer Shift
Escorting Patients Facing Protestors
into a Planned Parenthood Clinic
for Health Care Services including Abortion
I want to be the light and hope
in someone else’s life,
the reason for their day’s first smile
like the light in an artist’s still life.
I want to let patients know they’re safe,
not only that “I care”,
that I believe in the autonomous woman
who lives how she wants to dare
And makes the choices she deems best,
not what you or I think “right”,
because not only do I trust her
but align with her personal plight.
I want her to see the light in me
and attach to my broadest dreams
of a society that respects all others,
not what evil others scheme.
If I receive the smallest glimmer
of a smile or larger grin
from a patient arriving here in fear
but relaxed upon entering in,
Then I know my duty’s done this day
and an alliance has been made
with a comrade in kindness, despite the protests
of those who live in shade.
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