The last 24 hours have been full of delightful reminders about the value of inclusiveness and our shared humanity. Yesterday morning, my daughter went up to this bumper sticker and asked about it. As the father to a young girl, it delighted me that she already noticed a message about smashing the patriarchy. I want her to grow up in a society where women feel fully equal to men. That also means men letting go of false feelings of being “hurt” by women asserting themselves. Watching women claim their rights as humans doesn’t make me feel less powerful as a man. I feel best when everyone feels fully human.
It’s the same feeling I felt reading about last night’s election results, especially in New York City. Whether it was my local city council seat in Charleston, governorships in Virginia and New Jersey, or the mayor of New York City, candidates who celebrated inclusion and our shared humanity won. Reading different articles about how Mamdani built his campaign, many of the critical meetings happened in international restaurants. I loved reading about meals in kebab shops and Yemeni tea houses where Mamdani connected with people. Societies that prioritize inclusion and diversity are better places to live. When we celebrate our shared humanity, especially over food, we build bonds and relationships that can overcome hate and exclusion. We don’t just need less patriarchy, we need less xenophobia, less economic inequality, less antisemitism, and less Islamophobia. We need more love for our shared humanity.
I started blogging at Liberating Narratives in 2016. Before that, I had various blogs. I would write for a few months, and then teaching and grading would get too busy. When I left the classroom in June, I knew I wanted to turn Liberating Narratives into a full-time newsletter. Since the beginning of September, I have been writing regularly. I love it. Sometimes I feel the pressure of deadlines, but usually, I write because it feels good. Sitting down with my iPad to write is becoming a ritual, and I love that.
Sadhana is a Sanskrit term for “accomplishing something.” When I first learned it as a teenager, I understood sadhana as a daily practice. I still like that translation, but sadhanas are intentional and mindful daily practices. I eat every day, but eating is not a sadhana. My wife offers a prayer of gratitude before every meal; that is a sadhana. Writing is becoming a sadhana for me.
My joy in writing every day is part of the reason why I started Pilgrimage Every Day. I want another place where I’m committing to a writing sadhana.
Cooking therapy morning! The sandwich is a za’atar crusted baked tofu with a white bean pâté, cilantro tahini sauce, pickles, and harissa (and lots of arugula) on a ciabatta roll. This was delicious. And then I made a speculaas simple syrup (speculaas is the Dutch spice mix) and put a dash of that and rose water over pomegranate. This was a yummy lunch!
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When I left the classroom in June, I knew my main focus would be writing Liberating Narratives. I also wanted to pursue some of my other passions with Angela, my wife. As we’ve been traveling for the last two years, we’ve been discussing how to blend our shared love of culture, history, and yoga. Angela has been leading yoga retreats for many years, and I have traveled with students and other teachers. One of the unique aspects of a yoga retreat is how it encourages one to take a break from one’s daily routine and become more contemplative. We wanted to find a way to use that opportunity to immerse ourselves in another culture and learn from it.
At the end of September 2023, we will offer our first shared retreat in Marrakesh, Morocco. We will spend five days in the Medina (old city) and two days in the nearby Agafay Dessert. Angela will lead the daily yoga practice, and I will lead the historical and cultural immersion. More information about the retreat can be found on Angela’s website.
Many things - marriage, work, and home are just some of the most significant - have changed for me over the last six months. I’m trying to embrace the change. I’ve been reflecting on how I share my experiences and musings. Liberating Narratives has become the main place where I share my thoughts on teaching world history, and there are all the regular social media sites. I need to be on social media more often for professional reasons, but I want to have a little more control over my online presence and data. I appreciate the connections social media allows, but the algorithms and ads make these sites frustrating. I’m setting up Pilgrimage Every Day to connect with folks. Anyone can see what I’m thinking about or sharing without giving Facebook or Google more of our metadata. Folks can browse through my posts or subscribe to an email.
The title for this little corner of the internet comes from my favorite discussion between Paulo Coelho and Krista Tippet. I’ve listened to their conversation many times, and it always delights me:
And I also do believe that we have this possibility of doing a pilgrimage every single day. Because a pilgrimage implies in meeting different people, in talking to strangers, in paying attention to the omens, and basically being open to life. And, we leave our home to go to work, to go to school, and we have every single day this possibility, this chance of discovering something new. So, the pilgrimage is not for the privileged one who can go to Spain and to France, and walk this 500 miles, but to people who are open to life. A pilgrimage, at the end of the day, is basically get rid of things that you are using, and try something new. 💬
In the spirit of pilgrimage, here’s to trying something new.
